Fight  with  the  Grisly  Bears.  Page  211 


THE 


BACKWOODSMAN; 

OR, 


fife  on  % |ni)i;tn  Jfronfier. 


EDITED  BY 

SIR  C.  F.  LASCELLES  WRAXALL,  Bart., 

AUTHOR  OF  “ THE  BLACK  PANTHER,”  ETC. 


WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS  BY  LOUIS  GUARD , 
ENGRAVED  BY  JOHN  ANDREW. 


BOSTON: 

PUBLISHED  BY  T.  O.  H.  P.  BUKNHAM. 
NEW  YORK:  OLIVER  S.  FELT. 

1 8 66. 


Stereottped  bt  C.  J.  Peters  <fc  Sok, 
No.  13  Washington  Street. 

Press  of  Geo.  C.  Kand  & Avert. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAP.  PAGE 

I.  MY  SETTLEMENT 5 

II.  THE  COMANCHES 10 

III.  A FIGHT  WITH  THE  WEICOS 15 

IV.  HUNTING  ADVENTURES 22 

V.  THE  NATURALIST 51 

VI.  MR.  KREGER’S  FATE 40 

VII.  A LONELY  RIDE 52 

VIII.  THE  JOURNEY  CONTINUED G3 

IX.  HOMEWARD  BOUND 76 

X.  THE  BEE-HUNTER 89 

XI.  THE  WILD  HORSE 98 

XII.  THE  PRAIRIE  FIRE 106 

XIII.  THE  DELAWARE  INDIAN Ill 

XIV.  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS  . . . **  . . . .122 

XV.  THE  WEICOS 130 

XVI.  THE  BEAR-HOLE 137 

/ XVII.  THE  COMANCHE  CHIEF 146 

XVIII.  THE  NEW  COLONISTS 161 

XIX.  A BOLD  TOUR 171 

XX.  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS 178 

XXI.  LOST  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS 189 


4 


Contents. 


CHAP.  PAQB 


XXII.  BEAVER-IIUNTERS 

• 

• 

• 

199 

XXIII.  THE  GRISLY  BEARS 

. 

• 

• 

. 

205 

XXIV.  ASCENT  OF  THE  BIGHORN 

• 

. 

215 

XXV.  ON  THE  PRAIRIE 

. 

• 

. 

233 

XXVI.  THE  COMANCHES 

• 

• 

. 

246 

XXVII.  HOME  AGAIN  . 

. 

• 

• 

. 

256 

XXVIII.  THE  MESCALEROS 

. 

• 

• 

• 

. 

269 

XXIX.  THE  SILVER  MINE 

. 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

274 

XXX.  THE  PURSUIT  . 

. 

• 

• 

• 

• 

285 

LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAG* 

An  Unexpected  Visitor 28 

Face  to  Face 64 

Ocelots  hunting  in  Couples 181 

Beavers  building  a Dam 199 

Fight  with  the  Grisly  Bears  .......  211 

Buffaloes  crossing  a River 236 

Trusty  and  the  Alligator 281 

The  Torture  290 

1 


THE  BACKWOODSMAN. 


CHAPTER  I. 

MY  SETTLEMENT. 

My  blockhouse  was  built  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain-chain 
of  the  Rio  Grande,  on  the  precipitous  banks  of  the  River 
Leone.  On  three  sides  it  was  surrounded  by  a fourteen-feet 
stockade  of  split  trees  standing  perpendicularly.  At  the 
two  front  corners  of  the  palisade  were  small  turrets  of  the 
same  material,  whence  the  face  of  the  wall  could  be  held 
under  fire  in  the  event  of  an  attack  from  hostile  Indians. 
On  the  south  side  of  the  river  stretched  out  illimitable  prai- 
ries, while  the  northern  side  was  covered  with  the  densest 
virgin  forest  for  many  miles.  To  the  north  and  west  I had 
no  civilized  neighbors  at  all ; while  to  the  south  and  east 
the  nearest  settlement  was  at  least  two  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  distant.  My  small  garrison  consisted  of  three  men, 
who,  whenever  I was  absent,  defended  the  fort,  and  at  other 
times  looked  after  the  small  field  and  garden  as  well  as  the 
cattle. 

As  I had  exclusively  undertaken  to  provide  my  colony 
with  meat,  I rarely  staid  at  home,  except  when  there  was 
some  pressing  field  work  to  be  done.  Each  dawn  saw  me 
leave  the  fort  with  my  faithful  dog  Trusty,  and  turn  my 

5 


6 


The  Backwoodsman. 


horse  either  toward  the  boundless  prairie  or  the  mountains 
of  the  Rio  Grande. 

Very  often  hunting  kept  me  away  from  home  for  several 
days,  in  which  case  I used  to  bivouac  in  the  tall  grass  by 
the  side  of  some  stream.  Such  oases,  though  not  frequent, 
are  found  here  and  there  on  the  prairies  of  the  far  West. 
One  of  these  favorite  spots  of  mine  lay  near  the  mountains, 
about  ten  miles  from  my  abode.  It  was  almost  the  only 
water  far  and  wide,  and  here  formed  two  ponds,  whose 
depths  I was  never  able  to  sound,  although  I lowered  large 
stones  fastened  to  upwards  of  a hundred  yards  of  lasso. 
The  small  space  between  the  two  ponds  was  overshadowed 
by  the  most  splendid  magnolias,  pecan-nut-trees,  yuccas, 
evergreen  oaks,  &c.,  and  begirt  by  a wall  of  cactuses,  aloes, 
and  other  prickly  plants.  I often  selected  this  place  for 
hunting,  because  it  always  offered  a large  quantity  of  game 
of  every  description,  and  I was  certain  at  any  time  of  find- 
ing near  this  water  hundreds  of  wild  turkeys,  which  con- 
stitute a great  dainty  in  the  bill  of  fare  of  the  solitary 
hunter. 

After  a very  hot  spring  day  I had  sought  the  ponds,  as  it 
was  too  late  to  ride  home.  The  night  was  glorious ; the 
magnolias  and  large-flowered  cactuses  diffused  their  vanilla 
perfume  over  me  ; and  thousands  of  insects  sported  round 
my  small  camp-fire. 

My  dog  and  horse  played  around  me  for  a long  time,  un- 
til, quite  tired,  they  lay  down  by  the  fire-side,  and  all  three 
of  us  slept  till  dawn,  when  the  gobbling  of  the  turkeys 
aroused  us.  The  morning  was  as  lovely  as  the  night.  I 
freshened  up  the  fire,  boiled  some  coffee,  roasted  the  breast 
of  a turkey,  into  which  I had  previously  rubbed  pepper  and 
salt,  and  finished  breakfast  with  Trusty,  while  Czar,  my 
famous  white  stallion,  was  greedily  browzing  on  the  damp 


My  Settlement. 


7 


grass,  and  turned  his  head  away  when  I went  up  to  him 
with  the  bridle.  I hung  up  the  rest  of  the  turkey,  as  well 
as  another  I had  shot  on  the  previous  evening,  and  a leg  of 
deer  meat,  in  the  shadow  of  a magnolia,  — as  I did  not 
know  whether  I might  not  return  to  the  spot  that  evening,  — 
saddled,  and  we  were  soon  under  way  for  the  mountains, 
where  I hoped  to  find  buffalo. 

I was  riding  slowly  along  a hollow  in  the  prairie,  when  a 
rapidly  approaching  sound  attracted  my  attention.  In  a 
few  minutes,  a very  old  buffalo,  covered  with  foam,  dashed 
past  me,  and  almost  at  the  same  moment  a Comanche  In- 
dian pulled  up  his  horse  on  the  rising  ground  about  fifty 
yards  from  me.  As  he  had  his  bow  ready  to  shoot  the 
buffalo,  the  savage  made  his  declaration  of  war  more  quick- 
ly than  I,  and  his  first  arrow  passed  through  my  game-bag 
sling,  leather  jacket  and  waistcoat,  to  my  right  breast,  while 
two  others  whizzed  past  my  ear.  To  pluck  out  the  arrow, 
seize  a revolver,  and  dig  the  spurs  into  my  horse,  were  but 
one  operation  ; and  a second  later  saw  me  within  twenty 
yards  of  the  redskin,  who  had  turned  his  horse  round,  and 
was  seeking  safety  in  flight.  After  a chase  of  about  two 
miles  over  awfully  rough  ground,  where  the  slightest  mis- 
take might  have  broken  my  neck,  the  Indian’s  horse  began 
to  be  winded,  while  Czar  still  held  his  head  and  tail  erect. 
I rapidly  drew  nearer,  in  spite  of  the  terrible  blows  the 
redskin  dealt  his  horse,  and  when  about  thirty  paces  behind 
the  foe,  I turned  slightly  to  the  left,  in  order,  if  I could,  to 
avoid  wounding  his  horse  by  my  shot.  I raised  my  re- 
volver and  fired  ; but  at  the  same  instant  the  Indian  disap- 
peared from  sight,  with  the  exception  of  his  left  foot,  with 
which  he  held  on  to  the  saddle,  while  the  rest  of  his  body 
was  suspended  on  the  side  away  from  me.  With  the  cessa- 
tion of  the  blows,  however,  the  speed  of  his  horse  relaxed, 


8 


The  Backwoodsman. 


and  I was  able  to  ride  close  up.  Suddenly  the  Indian  re- 
gained his  Seat,  and  urged  on  his  horse  with  the  whip  ; I 
fired  and  missed  again,  for  I aimed  too  high,  in  my  anxiety 
to  spare  the  mustang.  We  went  on  thus  at  full  gallop  till 
we  reached  a very  broad  ravine,  over  which  the  Indian 
could  not  leap.  He  therefore  dashed  past  my  left  hand, 
trying,  at  the  same  moment,  to  draw  an  arrow  from  the' 
quiver  over  his  left  shoulder.  I fired  for  the  third  time  ; 
with  the  shot,  the  Comanche  sank  back  on  his  horse’s 
croup,  hung  on  with  his  feet,  and  went  about  a hundred 
yards  farther,  when  he  fell  motionless  in  the  tall  grass.  As 
he  passed  me,  I had  noticed  that  he  was  bleeding  from  the 
right  chest  and  mouth,  and  was  probably  already  gone  to 
the  happy  hunting-grounds.  I galloped  after  the  mustang, 
which  soon  surrendered,  though  with  much  trembling,  to 
the  pale  face  ; I fastened  its  bridle  to  my  saddle-bow,  led 
both  horses  into  a neighboring  thicket,  and  reloaded  my 
revolver. 

I remained  for  about  half  an  hour  in  my  hiding-place, 
whence  I could  survey  the  landscape  around,  but  none  of 
the  Indian’s  comrades  made  their  appearance,  and  I there- 
fore rode  up  to  him  to  take  his  weapons.  He  was  dead. 
The  bullet  had  passed  through  his  chest.  I took  his  bow, 
quiver,  and  buffalo-hide,  and  sought  for  the  arrows  he  had 
shot  at  me  as  I rode  back.  I resolved  to  pass  the  night  at 
the  ponds,  not  only  to  rest  my  animals,  but  also  to  conceal 
myself  from  the  Indians,  who,  I felt  sure,  were  not  far  off. 

I was  not  alarmed  about  myself,  but  in  the  event  of  pursuit 
by  superior  numbers,  I should  have  Trusty  to  protect,  and 
might  easily  lose  the  mustang  again. 

I reached  the  springs  without  any  impediment,  turned 
my  horses  out  to  grass  in  the  thicket,  and  rested  myself  in 
the  cool  shade  of  the  trees  hanging  over  the'  ponds.  A 


My  Settlement. 


9 


calm,  starry  night  set  in,  and  lighted  me  on  my  ride  home, 
which  I reached  after  midnight.  The  mustang  became 
one  of  my  best  horses.  It  grew  much  stronger,  as  it  was 
only  four  years  old  when  I captured  it ; and  after'  being 
fed  for  awhile  on  maize,  acquired  extraordinary  powers  of 
endurance. 


CHAPTER  n. 


THE  COMANCHES. 

The  summer  passed  away  in  hunting,  farm-work,  build- 
ing houses,  and  other  business,  and  during  this  period  I had 
frequently  visited  the  ponds.  One  evening  I rode  to  them 
again,  in  order  to  begin  hunting  from  that  point  the  next 
morning.  If  I shot  buffaloes  not  too  far  from  my  house,  I 
used  to  ride  back,  and  at  evening  drive  out  with  a two- 
wheeled cart,  drawn  by  mules,  to  fetch  the  meat,  and  salt  it 
for  the  probable  event  of  a siege.  As  I always  had  an 
ample  supply  of  other  articles  for  my  garrison  and  cattle, 
and  as  I had  plenty  of  water,  I could  resist  an  Indian  at- 
tack for  a long  time.  Large  herds  of  buffalo  always  appear 
in  the  neighborhood  so  soon  as  the  vegetation  on  the  Rocky 
Mountains  begins  to  die  out,  and  the  cold  sets  in.  For  a 
week  past,  these  wanderers  had  been  moving  southwards  ; 
but,  though  their  appearance  may  be  agreeable  to  the  hun- 
ter in  these  parts,  it  reminds  him,  at  the  same  time,  that 
his  perils  are  greatly  increased  by  their  advent.  Numerous 
tribes  of  horse  Indians  always  follow  these  herds  to  the 
better  pasturage,  and  traverse  the  prairie  in  every  direction, 
as  they  depend  on  the  buffalo  exclusively  for  food.  The 
warmer  climate  during  the  winter  also  suits  them  better,  as 
they  more  easily  find  forage  for  their  large  troops  of  horses 
and  mules. 

At  a late  hour  I reached  the  ponds,  after  supplying  my- 
self en  route  with  some  fat  venison.  Before  I lit  my  fire,  I 
10 


The  Co  mane  he  s. 


11 


also  shot  two  turkeys  on  the  neighboring  trees,  because  at 
this  season  they  are  a great  dainty,  as  they  feed  on  the  ripe 
oily  pecan-nuts.  I sat  till  late  over  my  small  fire,  cut  every 
now  and  then  a slice  from  the  meat  roasting  on  a spit,  and 
bade  my  dog  be  quiet,  who  would  not  lie  down,  but  con- 
stantly sniffed  about  with  his  broad  nose  to  the  ground,  and 
growling  sullenly.  Czar,  on  the  contrary,  felt  very  jolly  : 
had  abundant  food  in  the  prairie-grass,  and  snorted  every 
now  and  then  so  lustily,  that  the  old  turkeys  round  us  were 
startled  from  their  sleep.  It  grew  more  and  more  quiet. 
Czar  had  lain  down  by  my  side  ; and  only  the  unpleasant 
jeering  too-wlioot  of  the  owl  echoed  through  the  night,  and 
interrupted  the  monotonous  chorus  of  the  hunting  wolves 
which  never  ceases  in  these  parts.  Trusty,  my  faithful 
watchman,  was  still  sitting  up  with  raised  nose,  when  I 
sank  back  on  my  saddle,  and  fell  asleep.  The  morning  was 
breaking  when  I awoke,  saturated  with  dew  ; but  I sprang 
up,  shook  myself,  made  up  the  fire,  put  meat  on  the  spit, 
and  coffee  to  boil,  and  then  leapt  into  the  clear  pond  whose 
waters  had  so  often  refreshed  me.  After  the  bath  I break- 
fasted, and  it  was  not  till  I proceeded  to  saddle  my  horse 
that  I noticed  Trusty’s  great  anxiety  to  call  my  attention  to 
something.  On  following  him,  I found  a great  quantity 
of  fresh  Indian  signs,  and  saw  that  a large  number  of  horses 
had  been  grazing  round  the  pond  on  the  previous  day.  I 
examined  my  horse-gear  and  weapons,  opened  a package  of 
cartridges  for  my  double-barrelled  rifle,  and  then  rode  in 
the  direction  of  the  Leone.  I had  scarce  crossed  the  first 
upland  and  reached  the  prairie,  when  Czar  made  an  attempt 
to  bolt,  and  looked  round  with  a snort.  I at  once  noticed 
a swarm  of  Comanches  about  half  a mile  behind  me,  and 
coming  up  at  full  speed.  There  was  not  a moment  to  lose 
in  forming  a resolution  : I must  either  fly  or  return  to  my 


12 


The  Backwoodsman. 


natural  fortress  at  the  springs.  I decided  on  the  latter 
course,  as  my  enemies  were  already  too  near  for  my  dog  to 
reach  the  thicket  or  the  Leone  before  them  ; for,  though  the 
brave  creature  was  remarkably  powerful  and  swift-footed, 
he  could  not  beat  good  horses  in  a long  race. 

I therefore  turned  Czar  round,  and  flew  back  to  the  ponds. 
A narrow  path,  which  I had  cut  on  my  first  visit,  through 
a wall  of  prickly  plants  led  to  the  shady  spot  between  the  two 
ponds,  which,  on  the  opposite  side,  were  joined  by  a broad 
swamp  ; so  that  I had  only  this  narrow  entrance  to  defend. 
The  thicket  soon  received  us.  Czar  was  fastened  by  the 
bridle  to  a wild  grape-vine ; my  long  holster-pistols  were 
thrust  into  the  front  of  my  hunting-shirt ; the  belt  that  held 
my  revolvers  was  unbuckled,  and  I was  ready  for  the  at- 
tack of  the  savages.  Trusty,  too,  had  put  up  the  stiff*  hair 
on  his  back,  and  by  his  growling  showed  that  he  was 
equally  ready  to  do  his  part  in  the  fight.  The  Indians  had 
come  within  a few  hundred  yards,  and  were  now  circling 
round  me  with  their  frightful  war-yell,  swinging  their 
buffalo-hides  over  their  heads,  and  trying,  by  the  strangest 
sounds  and  gestures,  either  to  startle  my  horse  or  terrify 
me.  I do  not  deny  that,  although  used  to  such  scenes,  I 
felt  an  icy  coldness  down  my  back,  at  the  sight  of  these 
demons,  and  involuntarily  thought  of  the  operation  of  scalp- 
ing. I remained  as  quiet  as  I could,  however,  and  resolved 
not  to  expend  a bullet  in  vain.  The  distance  was  gradually 
reduced,  and  the  savages  came  within  about  a hundred  and 
fifty  yards,  some  even  nearer.  The  boldest  came  within  a 
hundred  and  twenty  yards  of  me,  while  the  others  shot  some 
dozen  arrows  at  me,  some  of  which  wounded  the  sappy  cac- 
tuses around  me.  The  savages  continually  grew  bolder, 
and  it  was  time  to  open  the  ball ; for  attacking  is  half  the 
battle  when  engaged  with  Indians. 


The  Comanches. 


13 


I therefore  aimed  at  the  nearest  man,  — a powerful,  stout, 
rather  elderly  savage,  mounted  on  a very  fast  golden-brown 
stallion,  — and  at  once  saw  that  the  bullet  struck  him  : in 
his  fall  he  pulled  his  horse  round  towards  me,  and  dashed 
past  within  forty  yards,  which  enabled  me  to  see  that  the 
bullet  had  passed  through  his  body,  and  he  did  not  need  a 
second.  About  one  hundred  yards  farther  on  he  kissed 
the  ground.  After  the  shot,  the  band  dashed  off,  and 
their  yell  wa^  augmented  to  a roar,  more  like  that  of  a 
wounded  buffalo  than  human  voices.  They  assembled  about 
half  a mile  distant,  held  a short  consultation,  and  then  re- 
turned like  a whirlwind  towards  me,  with  renewed  yells. 
The  attack  was  now  seriously  meant,  although  the  sole 
peril  I incurred  was  from  arrows  shot  close  to  me.  I led 
Czar  a few  paces  in  the  rear,  behind  a widely  spreading 
yucca,  ordered  Trusty  to  lie  down  under  the  cactuses,  re- 
loaded my  gun,  and,  being  a bit  of  Indian  myself,  I disap- 
peared among  the  huge  aloes  in  front  of  me,  pulling  my 
stout  beaver  hat  over  my  eyes.  I allowed  the  tornado  to 
come  within  a hundred  and  sixty  paces,  when  I raised  my 
good  rifle  between  the  aloes,  pulled  the  trigger,  and  saw 
through  the  smoke,  a redskin  bound  in  the  air,  and  fall 
among  the  horses,  hoofs.  A dense  dust  concealed  the  band 
from  sight ; but  a repetition  of  the  yells  reached  my  ear,  and 
I soon  saw  the  savages  going  away  from  me  ; whereon  I 
gave  them  the  contents  of  the  second  barrel,  which  had  a 
good  effect,  in  spite  of  the  distance,  as  I recognized  in  the 
fresh  yells  raised,  and  the  dispersion  of  the  band.  The  In- 
dians, ere  long,  halted  a long  way  off ; but  after  a while 
continued  their  retreat.  I understood  these  movements 
perfectly  well : they  wanted  to  give  me  time  to  leave  my 
hiding-place,  and  then  ride  me  down  on  the  plain.  Hence 
I waited  till  the  Comanches  were  nearly  two  miles  off,  and 


14 


The  Backwoodsman. 


watched  them  through  my  glass  as  they  halted  from  time 
to  time,  and  looked  round  at  me.  I was  certain  that  we 
now  had  a sufficient  start  to  reach  the  forest  on  the  Leone 
without  risk.  My  rifle  was  reloaded,  and  my  pistols  were 
placed  in  the  holsters.  I stepped  out  of  my  hiding-place,  and 
mounted  my  horse,  which  bore  me  at  a rapid  pace  towards 
my  home.  The  enemy  scarce  noticed  my  flight  ere  they 
dashed  down  from  the  heights  after  me  like  a storm-cloud. 
I did  not  hurry,  however,  for  fear  of  fatiguing  Trusty,  but 
selected  the  buffalo-paths  corresponding  with  my  direction, 
(thousands  of  which  intersect  the  prairies  like  a net)  ; and  at 
the  end  of  the  first  mile  felt  convinced  that  we  should  reach 
the  forest  all  right,  which  now  rose  more  distinctly  out  of  the 
sea  of  grass.  So  it  was : we  dashed  into  the  first  bushes 
only  pursued  by  five  Indians,  where  I rode  behind  some 
dwarf  chestnuts,  dismounted,  and  prepared  to  receive  my 
enemies.  They  remained  out  of  range,  however,  and  in 
a short  time  retired  again. 


CHAPTER  III. 


A FIGHT  WITH  THE  WEICOS. 

As  I mentioned,  my  fort  stood  on  the  south  side  of  the 
Leone  river,  and  in  front  of  it  lay  one  of  the  richest  and 
most  fertile  prairies,  which  ran  to  the  bank  of  Mustang 
Creek,  a small  stream  running  parallel  to  the  Leone.  The 
prairie  between  the  Leone  and  this  stream  was  about  five 
miles  broad  ; and  often,  when  I had  spent  the  day  at  home, 
I rode  off  to  pass  the  night  there,  in  order  to  shoot  at  day- 
break as  much  game  as  my  horse  could  comfortably  carry, 
and  be  back  to  breakfast.  I had  found,  in  a coppice  close 
to  the  stream,  a small  grassy  clearing,  where  Czar  was 
always  comfortable.  Around  it  stood  colossal  primaeval 
oaks  and  magnolias,  in  whose  shade  many  varieties  of 
evergreen  bushes  formed  an  impenetrable  thicket.  In  this 
thicket  I had  built  a sort  of  hut  of  buffalo  hides,  in  which 
I hid  away  a frying-pan,  an  old  axe,  and  a coffee-pot.  At 
this  spot  I passed  many  a hot  summer  night,  for  I found 
there  a cool,  quiet  bed,  which  the  sun  never  reached,  and 
ran  no  risk  of  being  betrayed  by  my  camp-fire  and  dis- 
turbed by  the  Indians. 

After  one  of  these  hot  days,  I rode  Czar  out  of  the  fort, 
and  Trusty,  released  from  the  chain,  sprang  joyfully  at  my 
horse’s  head,  delighted  at  getting  into  the  open  country 
again.  We  went  slowly  towards  the  thickly- wooded  bank 
of  the  creek,  which  bordered  the  prairie  ahead  of  us  like 
a purple  strip,  through  large  gay  fields  of  flowers,  with 

15 


16 


The  Backwoodsman. 


which  the  prairie  is  adorned.  Wherever  the  eye  turned,  it 
fell  on  herds  of  deer  that  were  sheltering  themselves  from 
the  burning  sun  under  isolated  elms.  As  I rode  along,  my 
eye  was  certainly  rejoiced  by  this  abundance  of  game,  but  I 
did  not  change  my  direction  on  that  account,  because  I was 
not  at  any  great  distance  from  the  thickets  in  advance  of 
the  forest  on  Mustang  Creek,  where  I could  approach  the 
game  with  much  less  trouble. 

I had  hardly  reached  these  advance  woods,  ere  I saw  a 
very  large  stag  standing  in  the  shadow  of  an  old  elm-tree, 
driving  away  the  flies  with  its  antlers,  and  feeding  on  the 
fine,  sweet  mosquito  grass,  which  is  much  more  tender  in 
the  shade  than  where  it  is  exposed  to  the  burning  sunbeams. 
The  beautiful  creature  was  hardly  sixty  paces  from  me,  and 
I seized  my  rifle,  which  was  lying  across  the  saddle  in  front 
of  me.  In  a moment,  Czar,  who  was  well  acquainted  with 
this  movement,  halted,  buried  his  small  head  in  the  grass, 
and  began  seeking  the  green  young  shoots  which  are 
covered  by  the  dry  withered  stalks.  I shot  the  deer,  and  as 
I saw  that  it  could  not  go  far,  I allowed  Trusty  to  catch  it, 
which  always  afforded  him  great  delight.  I rode  up,  threw 
the  bridle,  before  dismounting,  over  the  end  of  a long  pen- 
dant branch,  and  then  dragged  the  deer  into  the  shade  to 
break  it  up,  and  cut  off  the  meat  I intended  to  take  with 
me.  I had  knelt  down  by  the  deer,  and  just  thrust  in  my 
bowie-knife,  when  Trusty,  who  was  sitting  not  far  from 
me,  began  growling,  and  on  my  inquiring  what  was  the 
matter,  growled  still  more  loudly,  while  looking  in  the  di- 
rection behind  me.  I knew  the  faithful  creature  so  well 
that  I only  needed  to  look  in  his  large  eyes  to  read  what  he 
washed  to  tell  me.  They  had  turned  red,  a sure  sign  of  his 
rising  anger : but  I believed  that  wolves  were  at  hand, 
which  were  his  most  deadly  enemies,  because  he  had  fared 


A Fight  with  the  Weicoc. 


17 


badly  from  their  claws  now  and  then  before  I could  get  up 
to  free  him  from  his  tormentors.  I ordered  Trusty  to  be 
quiet,  as  I heeded  the  dangers  which  had  beset  me  for  years 
much  less  than  I had  done  at  the  beginning  of  my  border- 
life,  and  bent  down  again  over  the  deer,  when  Trusty 
sprang,  with  furious  barks,  towards  the  quarter  where  lie 
had  been  looking.  I quickly  rose,  and  on  turning  round 
saw  two  perfectly  naked  Indians,  armed  with  guns,  leap 
out  of  the  tall  grass  about  sixty  yards  from  me,  and  dash 
away  like  antelopes.  My  first  step  was  to  seize  my  rifle, 
which  was  leaning  against  the  tree  ; but  the  savages  took  an 
enormous  bound  over  one  of  the  clumps  of  plum-trees,  and 
disappeared  from  sight.  In  a few  minutes  I had  unfastened 
Czar,  and  rushed  after  the  Indians  through  the  many  wind- 
ings between  the  close-grown  bushes.  They  had  gained  a 
great  start,  and  had  increased  it  by  leaping  over  clumps, 
which  I was  compelled  to  ride  round ; still  I kept  them 
pretty  constantly  in  sight,  and  reached  the  open  prairie  in 
front  of  the  creek  at  the  moment  when  the  savages  had 
Crossed  about  half  of  it.  I gave  Czar  a slight  touch  of  the 
spur,  and  urged  him  on  with  the  usual  pat  on  his  powerful 
hard  neck ; he  leaped  through  the  grass  as  if  he  hardly 
touched  the  ground,  and  I was  obliged  to  set  my  hat  tightly 
on  my  head  for  fear  of  losing  it,  for  the  pressure  of  the 
atmosphere  was  so  great  that  I could  hardly  breathe. 

The  Indians  ran  like  deer,  but  the  distance  between  us  was 
speedily  lessened,  and  I was  only  sixty  yards  behind  them, 
when  they  were  still  fifty  from  the  forest.  I stopped  my 
horse,  leaped  off,  aimed  with  my  right-hand  barrel  at  the 
savage  farthest  ahead,  and  dropped  him.  In  the  mean  while 
the  other  Indian  reached  the  skirt  of  the  wood,  and  sprang 
int)  the  shade  of  an  old  oak,  at  the  moment  when  the  bead 
of  my  rifle  covered  him.  I fired  and  saw  him  turn  head 
2 


18 


The  Backwoodsman. 


over  heels.  At  this  moment  Trusty  came  panting  over  the 
prairie,  who  had  remained  behind  as  I had  leapt  over  some 
clumps  which  he  was  obliged  to  skirt ; he  saw  the  first  In- 
dian leap  out  of  the  grass,  like  a hare  which  has  been  shot 
through  the  head,  and  his  legs  seemed  too  slow  for  his 
growing  fury  ; a loud  shout  urged  him  on  still  more,  and  in  a 
few  seconds  he  and  the  savage  disappeared  in  the  tall  grass. 
A frightfully  shrill  yell,  which  echoed  far  and  wide  through 
the  forest,  proved  that  the  Indian  was  feeling  Trusty’s 
teeth,  and  the  heaving  grass  over  them  showed  that  it  was 
a struggle  for  life  or  death.  Loading  my  rifle  detained  me 
for  a few  minutes  at  the  spot  whence  I had  fired ; then  I 
ran  up  to  Czar,  who  had  strayed  a little  distance,  and  rode 
to  the  battle-field.  The  contest  was  over ; the  savage  was 
dead,  and  Trusty’s  handsome  shaggy  coat  was  spotted  with 
blood.  He  was  standing  with  his  fore-paws  on  his  enemy, 
and  tearing  out  his  throat.  A dog  like  Trusty  was  invalu- 
able to  me,  and  for  my  own  preservation  I dared  not 
assuage  the  creature’s  savageness  ; besides,  the  man  was 
dead,  and  it  was  a matter  of  indifference  whether  the  buz- 
zards devoured  his  body  or  Trusty  tore  it  piecemeal.  In 
the  mean  while  I fastened  the  dead  man’s  short  Mexican 
cscopeta , hunting-pouch,  and  necklace  to  my  saddle  ; then  I 
called  Trusty  off,  mounted  Czar,  and  rode  back  to  my  deer, 
as  I did  not  dare  venture  into  the  forest,  where  a large 
number  of  these  Weicos  were  very  probably  lying  in  am- 
bush. The  two  had  come  down  from  the  mountains  to  the 
banks  of  Mustang  Creek,  whither  the  great  quantity  of 
game  of  all  descriptions  had  attracted  them  ; on  hearing 
my  shot,  they  crept  up  unnoticed,  had  got  within  distance 
of  me,  and  in  a few  seconds  would  doubtless  have  settled 
me,  had  not  my  faithful  watcher  scented  them,  or  remarked 
their  movements  in  the  grass. 


A Fight  with  the  Weicos. 


19 


On  coming  within  sight  of  my  deer,  I saw  that  a dozen 
buzzards  had  collected,  some  on  the  trees,  others  circling 
slowly  in  the  air,  and  watching  with  envious  glances  three 
wolves  which  had  already  begun  greedily  to  share  my  deer. 
Although  I hardly  ever  expended  a bullet  on  these  torment- 
ors, I was  annoyed  at  their  impudence,  for  though  they  saw 
me  coming,  they  did  not  interrupt  their  banquet.  I shot 
one  of  them,  a very  old  red  she-wolf,  took  the  loins  and 
legs  of  the  deer,  hung  them  to  my  saddle,  and  rode  home 
to  pass  the  night. 

My  dogs  inside  the  fort  announced  to  the  garrison  the  ar- 
rival of  a stranger,  and  they  were  no  little  surprised  to  see 
me  return  at  so  unusual  an  hour.  The  gate  was  opened ; 
and,  after  Czar  had  been  relieved  of  his  rather  heavy  bur- 
den, I led  him  once  more  into  the  grass  to  let  him  have 
a good  roll ; and,  after  he  had  been  put  into  the  stable  with 
a feed  of  Indian  corn,  I described  the  events  of  the  day  at 
the  supper-table.  My  news  aroused  the  apprehensions  of 
my  men,  for  they  knew  the  vengeful  spirit  of  these  Weicos, 
and  we  therefore  resolved  to  keep  watch  during  the  night. 
We  were  still  smoking  and  talking  at  midnight,  when  the 
dogs,  of  which  I had  fourteen,  began  making  a tremendous 
row.  They  all  ran  out  through  the  small  apertures  left  for 
the  purpose  in  the  stockade,  and  stood  barking  on  the  river- 
bank  at  some  foe  on  the  other  side,  at  the  spot  where  my 
maize-field  in  the  forest  joined  the  river.  It  was  a pitch-dark 
and  calm  night.  We  listened  attentively,  and  could  dis- 
tinctly hear  the  trampling  of  dry  brushwood  in  the  field. 
It  might  be  occasioned  by  buffalo,  which  had  broken 
through  the  fence,  and  were  regaling  on  my  maize.  But 
these  animals  rarely  move  at  night,  and  there  was  a much 
greater  probability  of  Indians  being  there.  We  gently 
opened  the  gate.  I took  my  large  duck  gun,  which  held 


20 


The  Backwoodsman. 


sixteen  pistol  bullets  in  each  barrel,  and  crawled  down  on 
my  stomach  to  the  river-bank,  where  I lay  perfectly  quiet. 
When  I arrived  there,  one  of  my  dogs  was  yelping ; and  I 
distinctly  heard  the  twang  of  a bow-string.  I noticed  the 
quarter  very  carefully : the  river  was  only  forty  yards 
across,  and  the  direction  was  shown  me  still  more  plainly 
by  the  crackling  of  brushwood.  I shot  one  barrel  there, 
upon  which  human  cries  and  a hurried  flight  were  audible  ; 
then  I sent  the  second  after  it,  and  fresh  groans  echoed 
through  the  quiet  forest,  and  mingled  with  the  roar  of  my 
two  shots.  I remained  lying  in  the  grass,  as  I might  be 
easily  seen  against  the  starry  sky  from  the  other  bank, 
which  was  thirty  feet  lower.  The  leaping  and  running 
through  the  maize  retired  farther  and  farther  towards  the 
wood,  and  scarce  reached  my  ear,  when  suddenly  a wild 
war-yell  resounded  in  the  forest,  which  was  answered  by 
countless  wolf-howls  on  the  prairie  behind  me.  This  was 
the  last  outbreak  of  fury  on  the  part  of  the  Indians,  of 
whom  I never  saw  any  thing  more  beyond  the  various 
bloody  traces  which  they  left  in  the  field.  We  found  sev- 
eral arrows  sticking  in  the  river-bank,  whose  form  led  me 
to  conclude  that  the  assailants  were  Cato  Indians.  The 
damage  I received  from  this  nocturnal  visit  only  consisted 
in  the  trampled  maize  and  a harmless  wound  which  one  of 
my  dogs  had  received  from  an  arrow  in  the  leg.  The 
morning  was  spent  in  following  the  trail  of  the  savages  to 
the  prairie  on  the  other  side  of  the  forest,  where  a number 
<of  horses  had  awaited  these  night-wanderers,  and  borne 
them  away.  In  the  afternoon,  I rode  again  to  Mustang 
Creek  with  one  of  my  people,  to  the  spot  where  the  second 
Indian  had  disappeared  on  the  previous  day.  The  entrance 
into  the  wood,  and  the  roots  of  the  old  oak,  were  covered 
with  blood.  I sent  Trusty  on  ahead  to  see  whether  the 


A Fight  with  the  Weicos. 


21 


road  was  clear,  and  if  we  could  penetrate  into  the  gloom  of 
the  forest  without  danger.  We  cautiously  followed  the  dog, 
who  kept  the  blood-marked  trail,  and  reached  the  river,  on 
whose  bank  the  Weico  was  sleeping  the  last  sleep.  lie  was 
cold  and  stiff : my  bullet  had  passed  through  his  brown 
sides. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


HUNTING  ADVENTURES . 

It  is  scarce  possible  to  form  an  idea  of  the  abundance  of 
game  with  which  the  country  near  me  was  blessed  in  those 
days.  I consumed  a great  quantity  of  meat  in  my  house- 
hold, owing  to  the  number  of  dogs  I kept ; but  I really  pro- 
cured it  as  if  only  amusing  myself.  There  were  certainly 
days  on  which  I shot  nothing.  At  times  I did  not  get  sight 
of  a buffalo  for  a week,  or  the  prairie-grass  was  burnt  down 
to  the  roots,  which  rendered  it  extremely  difficult  to  stalk 
the  game,  while  just  at  this  period,  when  the  first  green 
shoots  spring  up,  the  animals  principally  visit  the  open 
plains,  whence  they  can  see  their  pursuers  for  a long  dis- 
tance. For  all  that,  though  we  had  generally  a superabun- 
dance of  meat,  and  too  often  behaved  with  unpardonable 
extravagance,  I have  frequently  killed  five  or  six  buffaloes, 
each  weighing  from  a thousand  to  fifteen  hundred  pounds, 
in  one  chase,  lasting  perhaps  half  an  hour,  and  then  merely 
carried  off  their  tongues  and  marrow-bones.  Often,  too,  I 
have  shot  one  or  two  bears,  weighing  from  five  to  eight 
hundred  pounds,  and  only  taken  home  their  paws  and  a few 
ribs,  because  the  distance  was  too  great  to  burden  my  horse 
with  a large  supply  of  meat.  I could  always  supply  our 
stock  in  the  vicinity  of  my  fort,  although  at  times  we  were 
compelled  to  put  up  with  turkeys,  or  fish  and  turtle,  with 
which  our  river  literally  swarmed. 

22 


Hunting  Adventures. 


23 


Bear-meat  formed  an  important  item  in  our  larder ; or, 
more  correctly  speaking,  bear’s  grease,  which  was  of  ser- 
vice in  a great  many  ways. 

These  animals  were  very  numerous  in  my  neighborhood. 
In  spring  and  summer  they  visited  the  woods,  where  with 
their  cubs  they  regaled  upon  wild  plums,  grapes,  honey, 
and  young  game  of  all  sorts,  and  at  times  played  the  deuce 
in  my  maize-field.  In  autumn  the  rich  crop  of  pecan-nuts, 
walnuts,  acorns,  chestnuts,  and  similar  fruits,  kept  them  in 
our  forests ; and  in  winter  they  sought  rocky  ravines  and 
caves,  where  they  liybernated.  Very  many  took  up  their 
quarters  in  old  hollow  trees,  so  that  at  this  season  I had 
hardly  any  difficulty  in  finding  a bear  in  my  neighborhood. 
Trusty  was  a first-rate  hand  at  this,  for  he  found  a track, 
and  kept  to  it  as  long  as  I pleased ; and  at  the  same  time 
possessed  the  great  advantage  that  he  never  required  a leash, 
never  went  farther  than  I ordered  him,  and  never  followed 
game  without  my  permission.  When  a bear  rose  before 
me,  it  rarely  got  fifty  paces  away,  unless  it  was  in  thorny 
bushes,  where  the  dog  could  not  escape  its  attack ; for,  so 
soon  as  the  bear  bolted,  Trusty  dug  his  teeth  so  furiously 
into  its  legs,  and  slipped  away  with  such  agility,  that  the 
bear  soon  gave  up  all  attempts  at  flight,  and  stood  at  bay. 
It  was  laughable  to  see  the  trouble  the  bear  was  in  when 
I came  up  ; how  it  danced  round  Trusty,  and  with  the 
most  ridiculous  entrechats  upbraided  his  impudence ; while 
Trusty  continually  sprang  away,  lay  down  before  Bruin, 
and  made  the  woods  ring  with  his  bass  voice.  Frequently, 
however,  the  honest  dog  incurred  great  peril  during  this 
sport,  and  his  life  more  than  once  depended  on  my  oppor- 
tune arrival. 

In  this  way  I followed,  one  warm  autumn  day,  a remark- 
ably broad  bear-trail  on  the  mountains  of  the  Rio  Grande. 


24 


The  Backwoodsman. 


Trusty,  halting  fifty  yards  ahe&d  pf  me,  showed  me  that  it 
stopped  at  a small  torrent,  where  the  bear  had  watered  on 
the  previous  night.  I dismounted,  examined  the  trail  care- 
fully, and  saw  that  it  was  made  by  a very  old  fat  bear : it 
was  in  the  fatting  season,  when  the  bear  frequently  inter- 
rupts its  sleep,  and  pays  a nocturnal  visit  to  the  water.  At 
this  season  these  animals  are  very  clumsy  and  slow,  and 
cannot  run  far,  as  they  soon  grow  scant  of  breath ; they 
soon  stop,  and  can  be  easily  killed  by  the  hunter,  — always 
supposing  that  he  can  trust  to  his  dog  and  horse,  for  any 
mistake  might  expose  the  rider  to  great  danger.  I ordered 
Trusty  to  follow  the  trail : it  ran  for  some  distance  up  the 
ravine,  then  went  up  the  bare  hill-side,  which  was  covered 
with  loose  bowlders  and  large  masses  of  rock,  into  the  valley 
on  the  opposite  side,  in  the  middle  of  which  was  a broad, 
but  very  swampy  pool,  girdled  by  thick  thorny  bushes. 
Trusty  halted  in  front  of  this  thicket,  looked  round  to  me, 
and  then  again  at  the  bushes,  while  wagging  his  long  tail. 
I knew  the  meaning  of  this  signal,  and  that  the  bear  was 
not  far  off.  I ordered  the  dog  on,  and  drew  a revolver 
from  my  belt ; feeling  assured  that  the  bear  would  soon 
leave  the  underwood,  and  seek  safety  in  flight.  Trusty  dis- 
appeared in  the  bushes,  and  his  powerful  bark  soon  re- 
sounded through  the  narrow  valley.  It  was  an  impossi- 
bility for  me  to  ride  through  the  thicket ; hence  I galloped  to 
the  end  of  the  coppice,  and  saw  there  the  bear  going  at  a 
rapid  pace  up  the  opposite  steep  hill,  with  Trusty  close  at 
its  heels.  I tried  to  cross  the  swamp  ; but  Czar  retreated 
with  a snort,  as  if  to  show  me  the  danger  of  the  enterprise. 
By  this  time,  Trusty  had  caught  up  to  the  bear  at  the  top  of 
the  hill,  and  furiously  attacked  it  in  the  rear.  The  bear 
darted  round  with  extraordinary  agility,  and  was  within  an 
ace  of  seizing  Trusty ; but,  after  making  a few  springs  at 


Hunting  Adventures. 


25 


the  dog,  it  continued  its  hurried  flight,  and  disappeared 
with  Trusty  over  the  hill-top.  I had  ridden  farther  up  the 
water  when  I heard  my  dog  baying : I drove  the  spurs  into 
my  horse,  and,  with  one  immense  leap,  we  were  both  in  the 
middle  of  the  swamp  up  to  the  girths  ; then,  with  an  inde- 
scribable effort,  Czar  gave  three  tremendous  leaps,  which 
sent  black  mud  flying  round  us,  and  reached  the  opposite 
firm  ground  with  his  fore-feet,  while  his  hind-quarters  sunk 
in  the  quivering  morass.  With  one  spring  I was  over  his 
head,  when  I sank  in  up  to  the  knees,  and,  after  several  tre- 
mendous exertions,  the  noble  fellow  sprang  ashore,  trem- 
bling all  over.  Trusty's  barking,  as  if  for  help,  continually 
reached  me  as  I galloped  up  the  steep  hill-side  : I arrived 
on  the  summit  at  the  moment  when  the  bear  sprang  at 
Trusty,  and  buried  him  beneath  its  enormous  weight.  My 
alarm  for  the  faithful  dog  — my  best  friend  in  these  soli- 
tudes — made  me  urge  Czar  on  : he  bounded  like  a cat  over 
the  remaining  rocks  ; and  I saw  Trusty  slip  out  from  under 
the  bear  in  some  miraculous  way,  and  attack  it  again  on 
the  flank.  I halted  about  ten  paces  from  the  scene  of 
action,  held  my  rifle  between  the  little  red  fiery  eyes  of  the 
bright  black  monster,  and  laid  it  lifeless  on  the  bare  rocks. 
The  greatest  peril  for  dogs  is  at  the  moment  when  the  bear 
is  shot ; for  they  are  apt  to  attack  it  as  it  falls,  and  get 
crushed  in  its  last  convulsive  throes.  I leapt  off  Czar,  who 
was  greatly  excited  by  the  sharp  ride,  went  up  to  Trusty, 
who  was  venting  his  fury  on  Bruin’s  throat,  examined  him, 
and  found  that  he  had  received  three  very  serious  wounds, 
two  on  the  back  and  one  over  the  left  shoulder-blade,  which 
were  bleeding  profusely,  though  in  his  fury  he  did  not  seem 
to  notice  them.  I took  my  case  from  the  holster,  and  sewed 
up  his  wounds,  during  which  operation  he  lay  very  patiently 
before  me,  and  looked  at  me  with  his  large  eyes  as  if  ask- 


26 


The  Backwoodsman. 


ing  whether  this  were  necessary.  Then  I took  off  my 
jacket  and  set  to  work  on  the  bear,  stripped  it,  and  put  the 
hide  as  well  as  a hundred-pounds*  weight  of  the  flesh  on 
Czar’s  back.  If  my  readers  will  bear  in  mind  that  the  sun 
was  shining  on  my  back  furiously,  and  that  I was  on  a bare 
blazing  rock,  they  will  understand  that  I was  worn  out,  and 
longed  for  a cool  resting-place.  The  bear  weighed  at  least 
eight  hundred  pounds  ; and  it  requires  a great  effort  to  turn 
such  an  animal  over. 

I was  a good  hour’s  ride  from  the  shade  of  the  Leone, 
and  only  half  that  distance  to  the  mountain  springs  I have 
already  described.  I therefore  selected  the  latter,  although 
they  took  me  rather  farther  from  home.  I walked,  although 
I made  Czar  carry  my  jacket,  weapons,  and  pouch,  and 
reached  my  destination  in  the  afternoon,  with  my  two  faith- 
ful companions  at  my  heels.  Czar  had  a hearty  meal  after  I 
had  bathed  him  in  the  pond  ; and  poor  Trusty,  whose  wounds 
had  dried  in  the  sun,  and  pained  him  terribly,  felt  comfort- 
able in  the  cool  grass,  and  did  not  disturb  the  linen  rag 
which  I moistened  every  now  and  then.  Nor  did  I forget 
myself : I rested,  bathed,  and,  after  a while,  enjoyed  the  liver 
and  tongue  of  the  old  vagabond,  until  the  evening  breeze 
had  cooled  the  air ; and  I reached  home  partly  on  foot, 
partly  on  horseback. 

I rode  at  daybreak  down  the  river  towards  the  moun- 
tains : a cold,  refreshing  breeze  was  blowing,  which  had  an 
invigorating  effect  upon  both  men  and  animals.  Czar  was 
full  of  playfulness.  He  often  pretended  to  kick  at  Trusty, 
his  dearest  friend,  who  was  trotting  by  his  side,  shook  his 
broad  neck,  and  could  hardly  be  held  in.  Trusty  ran 
ahead,  every  now  and  then  rolled  in  the  tall  grass,  kicked 
up  the  earth  behind  him,  and  then  looked  up  at  me  with  a 
loud  bark  of  delight.  I,  too,  was  in  an  excellent  humor ; 


Hunting  Adventures. 


27 


the  small  birds-of-paradise,  with  their  long  black-and-white 
tails  and  crimson  breasts,  fluttered  from  bush  to  bush.  The 
humming-birds  darted  past  me  like  live  coals,  and  suddenly 
stopped  as  if  spell-bound  in  front  of  some  flowers,  whence 
they  sucked  the  honey  for  a few  seconds  with  their  beaks, 
and  then  hummed  off*  to  another  fragrant  blossom.  Count- 
less vultures  described  their  regular  circles  over  my  head ; 
above  them  gleamed  against  the  ultramarine  sky  the  bril- 
liant white  plumage  of  a silver  heron,  or  the  splendid  pink 
of  a flamingo  ; whilst  high  up  in  ether  the  royal  eagles 
were  bathing  in  the  sunshine.  The  prairie  was  more  beau- 
tiful this  day  than  I had  ever  seen  it ; it  was  adorned  by 
every  designation  of  bulbous  plants,  — the  prevailing  flora 
in  the  spring. 

Lost  in  admiration  of  these  natural  beauties,  I reached 
the  hilly  ground  near  the  mountain  springs ; and  first 
learned  from  Czar’s  tugging  at  the  bridle,  and  his  repeated 
bounds,  that  I had  come  in  sight  of  a herd  of  about  forty 
buffaloes,  that  did  not  appear  to  notice  me  yet.  Probably 
they  were  engaged  with  that  portion  of  the  beauties  of 
nature  which  most  interested  them  ; for,  at  any  rate,  they 
all  had  their  huge,  shaggy  heads  buried  in  the  fresh  young 
grass.  I was  never  better  inclined  to  have  a jolly  chase 
than  on  this  day,  and  the  same  was  the  case  with  Czar  and 
Trusty.  I let  loose  the  reins,  drew  a revolver,  and  dashed 
among  the  astounded  herd,  looking  for  a plump  bull.  Sur- 
prised and  disturbed,  these  philosophers  turned  their  heads 
towards  the  mountains,  raised  their  tails  erect,  and  started 
in  their  awkward  gallop,  with  the  exception  of  one  old  fel- 
low, the  very  one  I had  selected  for  the  attack.  He  looked 
after  the  fugitives  for  a while,  as  if  reproaching  them  with 
their  cowardice ; shook  his  wild  shaggy  mane  several 
times ; and  then  dashed  furiously  at  me  with  his  head  down. 


28 


The  Backwoodsman. 


I was  so  surprised  at  this  unexpected  attack,  that  I did  not 
fire,  but  turned  my  horse  to  fly.  The  buffalo  pursued  me 
some  thousand  yards,  keeping  rather  close  ; while  his  com- 
panions halted,  and  seemed  to  be  admiring  the  chivalric 
deed  of  their  knight.  At  length  he  stopped,  as  he  had  con- 
vinced himself  that  he  could  not  catch  up  to  me,  and 
stamped  with  his  long-haired  front  legs  till  the  dust  flew  up  • 
in  a cloud  around  him.  I turned  my  horse,  and  raised  my 
rifle,  to  make  more  sure  of  hitting  the  bull,  as  his  deter- 
mined conduct  had  imbued  me  with  some  degree  of  respect. 
I fired,  and  wounded  him  in  the  side,  a little  too  far  back  : 
at  the  same  instant  he  dashed  ahead  again  ; but  then  thought 
better  of  it,  and  tried  to  rejoin  the  flying  herd.  I now  set 
Trusty  on  him,  who  soon  brought  him  at  bay  ; and  I gave 
him  a bullet  from  the  revolver.  Again  he  rushed  at  me, 
and  again  fled.  In  this  way,  pursuing  and  pursued  in  turn, 
I had  given  him  five  bullets,  when  he  left  the  herd  in  a 
perfect  state  of  mania,  and  dashed  after  me.  I made  a 
short  turn  with  my  horse  ; the  bull  rushed  past ; I turned 
Czar  again  towards  the  buffalo  ; and,  as  I passed,  I put  a 
bullet  through  his  heart  at  the  distance  of  three  yards. 
The  monster  fell  to  the  ground  in  a cloud  of  dust,  and 
raised  up  a heap  of  loose  sand,  which  it  stained  with  its 
dark  blood. 

To  my  surprise,  I noticed  that  Trusty  did  not  come  up 
to  the  fallen  buffalo,  but  rushed  past  it,  loudly  barking, 
to  the  thicket  at  the  springs,  whence  I saw  an  immense 
panther  leap  through  the  prickly  plants.  I galloped  round 
the  ponds,  and  saw  the  royal  brute  making  enormous  leaps 
through  the  tall  prairie-grass  towards  the  mountains. 
Trusty  was  not  idle  either,  and  was  close  behind  it.  I 
spurred  Czar,  and  kept  rather  nearer  the  mountains,  so  as 
to  cut  off  the  fugitive’s  retreat,  and  drive  it  farther  out  on 


An  Unexpected  Visitor.  Page  28 


Hunting  Adventures. 


29 


the  plains,  while  my  hunting-cry  incessantly  rang  in  its 
ears.  It  had  galloped  about  a mile  when  we  got  rather 
close  to  it : it  altered  its  course  once  more,  and  climbed  up 
an  old  evergreen  live-oak,  among  whose  leafy  branches  it 
disappeared.  I called  Trusty  to  heel,  stopped  about  fifty 
yards  from  the  oak  to  reload  my  right-hand  barrel,  and 
then  rode  slowly  round,  looking  for  a gap  in  the  foliage 
through  which  to  catch  a glimpse  of  this  most  dangerous 
animal.  The  leaves  were  very  close  ; and  I had  ridden 
nearly  round,  when  I suddenly  saw  its  eyes  glaring  at  me 
from  one  of  the  main  branches  in  the  middle  of  the  tree. 
I must  shoot  it  dead,  or  else  it  would  be  a very  risky  enter- 
prise ; and  Czar’s  breathing  was  too  violent  for  me  to  fire 
from  his  back  with  any  certainty.  I cautiously  dismounted, 
keeping  my  eye  on  the  panther,  held  a revolver  in  my  left 
hand,  brought  the  bead  of  my  rifle  to  bear  right  between 
the  eyes  of  the  king  of  these  solitudes,  — and  fired.  With  a 
heavy  bump,  the  panther  fell  from  branch  to  branch,  and 
lay  motionless  on  the  ground.  I kept  Trusty  back,  waited 
a few  moments  to  see  whether  the  jaguar  was  really  dead, 
as  I did  not  wish  to  injure  the  beautiful  skin  by  a second 
bullet  unnecessarily,  then  walked  up,  and  found  that  the 
bullet  had  passed  through  the  left  eye  into  the  brain.  It 
had  one  of  the  handsomest  skins  I ever  took  : it  is  so  large, 
that  I can  quite  wrap  myself  up  in  it,  and  now  forms  my  bee 
coverlet.  When  I had  finished  skinning  it,  and  cut  out  the 
tusks  with  the  small  axe  I always  carried  in  a leathern 
case,  I rode  back  to  my  buffalo,  with  the  skin  proudly 
hanging  down  on  either  side  of  my  horse.  On  getting 
there,  I led  Czar  through  the  narrow  entrance  into  the 
thicket,  where  I came  upon  a freshly  killed  large  deer,  one 
of  whose  legs  was  half  eaten  away.  It  was  the  last  meal 
of  the  savage  beast  of  prey,  and  I was  surprised  it  had  left 


30 


The  Backwoodsman. 


its  quarry.  The  noise  of  the  buffalo  and  the  horse  gallop- 
ing, Trusty’s  bass  voice,  and  the  crack  of  the  revolver  in 
such  close  vicinity,  must  have  appeared  dangerous  to  it ; 
and  it  had  fancied  it  could  slip  off  unnoticed. 

My  buffalo  was  very  plump  ; it  supplied  me  and  Trusty 
with  an  excellent  dinner  ; and  for  dessert  I had  the  marrow- 
bones roasted  on  the  fire,  and  split  open  with  my  axe, 
which,  when  peppered  and  salted,  are  a great  delicacy.  A 
little  old  brandy  from  my  flask,  mixed  with  the  cold  spring- 
water,  was  a substitute  for  champagne : my  sofa  was  the 
body  of  the  deer,  covered  with  the  skin  of  its  assassin. 


CHAPTER  V. 


THE  NATURALIST. 

Years  had  passed  since  the  first  establishment  of  my 
settlement,  but  it  was  still  the  greatest  rarity  to  see  a 
strange  white  face  among  us ; and,  though  I visited  the 
nearest  town  more  frequently  than  at  the  outset,  it  led  to 
no  settled  intercourse.  I rode  there  several  times  a year, 
taking  to  market  on  mules  my  stock  of  hides,  wax,  tallow, 
&c.,  and  brought  back  provisions,  tools,  powder,  and  lead. 
On  these  occasions,  I received  the  letters  which  had  arrived 
for  me  in  the  interval,  posted  my  own,  took  my  packets  of 
books  forwarded  from  New  York,  and  then  my  intercourse 
with  the  world  was  at  an  end  for  six  months.  The  mules 
and  horses  certainly  left  traces  during  these  rides  in  the 
clayey  soil ; but  they  were  soon  destroyed  by  heavy  rains, 
or  trampled  by  herds  of  passing  buffaloes,  and  thus  hidden 
from  the  most  acute  eyes.  Moreover,  on  these  journeys  I 
never  kept  the  same  road,  as  I always  guided  myself 
by  the  compass,  and  altered  my  course  according  to 
the  seasons,  as  I had  to  pass  spots  which  were  inun- 
dated at  certain  periods,  and  others  where  water,  at 
t’mes,  was  very  scarce.  The  first  two -thirds  of  the 
country  was  a wretched  sandy  region,  without  grass,  on 
which  stunted  oaks  grew  here  and  there,  very  mountainous 
and  dry,  where  no  one  would  dream  of  settling  or  under- 
going the  perils  of  a pioneer  for  the  sake  of  the  land. 
Nearer  to  me  no  one  ventured  to  come,  as  many  attempts 

81 


32 


The  Backwoodsman. 


had  been  made  to  settle  on  this  fertile  soil,  but  had  all 
turned  out  unhappily ; the  last  of  them  entailing  the  de- 
struction of  a family  of  nineteen  persons.  On  my  hunting 
expeditions  I often  saw  their  bones  bleaching  in  the  sun. 
As  I said,  no  change  had  occurred  in  my  position,  save  that 
my  mode  of  life  was  safer  and  more  comfortable  ; the 
country  alone  still  remained  a solitude,  which  no  isolated 
visitor  could  enter  without  staking  his  scalp. 

Hence,  I was  greatly  surprised,  one  morning,  when  the 
sentry  came  into  my  house,  and  informed  me  that  a white 
man  was  riding  alone  along  the  river,  mounted  on  a mule, 
which  is  the  most  unsuitable  of  animals  in  the  Indian  coun- 
try. I ran  with  a telescope  to  the  turret  at  the  south-east 
end  of  the  fort,  and  not  only  found  the  watchman's  state- 
ment confirmed,  but  also  that  the  man  had  not  even  a 
weapon,  unless  it  was  hidden  in  two  enormous  packs  which 
dangled  on  each  side  of  his  mule.  The  rider  drew  nearer, 
at  one  moment  emerging  on  the  ridges,  and  then  disappear- 
ing again  in  the  hollows.  At  length  our  growing  curiosity 
was  satisfied  ; and  a white  man,  a German,  saluted  us  with 
an  innocently  calm  smile.  On  my  asking  how  he  had  come 
here  alone  and  unarmed,  he  said  cheerfully,  “Well,  from 
the  settlement.  I was  able  to  find  your  mule-track  quite 
easily.  Mr.  Jones  accompanied  me  for  a whole  day,  and 
during  the  last  four  I have  seen  nobody.”  It  soon  came 
out  that  his  name  was  Kreger,  and  that  he  was  a botanist, 
who  had  come  to  examine  the  flora  about  us  which  had 
not  yet  been  collected.  For  this  purpose,  he  brought  with 
him  two  enormous  bundles  of  blotting-paper,  which  hung 
on  his  Lizzy,  — so  he  called  his  gallant  charger,  — and, 
like  wool-bags  in  a battery,  might  have  protected  him 
against  Indian  arrows,  if  he  had  had  any  missiles  to  reply 
with  ; but  he  only  had  a pistol  in  his  trowsers’  pocket,  which 


The  Naturalist. 


33 


would  not  go  off,  in  spite  of  all  the  experiments  we 
made  with  it.  Everybody  had  warned  him  of  the  danger 
to  which  he  exposed  himself  on  his  journey  to  me  ; and  the 
last  pioneer  he  passed,  a Mr.  Jones,  had  tried  to  keep  him 
back  by  force  ; but  he  had  merely  laughed,  and  declared 
that  an  Indian  could  not  touch  him  on  his  Lizzy. 

We  all  tried  to  make  him  understand  how  madly  he  had 
behaved,  and  that  it  was  only  by  a miracle  he  had  escaped 
the  notice  of  the  redskins,  which  must  have  entailed  his  in- 
evitable death,  during  his  long,  solitary  journey  to  us,  and 
while  sleeping  at  night  by  a large  fire.  lie  merely  smiled 
at  it  all,  and  said  that  it  could  not  be  quite  so  bad,  while 
making  repeated  applications  to  his  snuff-box.  As  regarded 
his  intentions  of  making  his  excursions  from  my  house,  I 
told  him  it  was  impossible  ; because,  when  I went  out  hunt- 
ing, I did  not  waste  my  time  over  plants,  and  he,  as  no 
sportsman,  would  be  a nuisance  to  me : on  the  other  hand, 
we  could  not  think  of  letting  him  wander  about  alone,  the 
danger  of  which  I confirmed  by  telling  him  various  adven- 
tures of  mine.  For  all  this  I received  him  hospitably ; 
gave  him  a place  to  sleep  in,  and  a seat  at  table  ; showed 
him  where  to  find  corn  for  Lizzy,  where  he  could  wash  his 
sheets,  — in  a word,  made  him  as  comfortable  as  lay  in  my 
power. 

I had  long  intended  to  explore  more  distant  countries 
than  those  I had  visited  during  my  sporting  excursions, 
especially  the  continuation  of  our  plateaux  to  the  north,  and 
had  made  my  arrangements  for  this  tour  when  Mr.  Kreger 
surprised  us  by  his  advent.  On  the  day  after  his  arrival, 
we  took  a walk  round  the  fort  and  the  garden,  during  which 
he  broke  off  the  conversation  every  moment,  and  plucked 
some  rare  plant  to  put  in  his  herbal,  which  he  called  his 
cannon  ; and  laughed  at  the  revolver  in  my  belt,  and  the 


34 


The  Backwoodsman. 


rifle  I carried.  I told  him  that  I intended  to  make  a jour- 
ney, in  which,  if  he  liked  to  accompany  me,  he  would  be 
able  to  make  his  researches,  as  my  hunting  on  this  trip 
would  be  restricted  to  my  meat  supply.  He  wras  delighted, 
and  agreed  to  come  with  me,  to  which  I consented  on  con- 
dition of  his  riding  one  of  my  horses  ; and  I recommended 
the  mustang,  whose  powers  of  endurance  I knew,  and  tried 
to  prove  by  telling  him  how  it  came  into  my  possession. 
But  it  was  of  no  avail,  for  none  of  my  cattle  possessed  the 
qualities  of  his  Lizzy ; and  he  offered  a bet  that  no  one 
could  catch  her.  For  the  sake  of  the  joke,  the  mustang  and 
the  mule  were  soon  saddled  : a mosquito-tree  on  the  prairie, 
about  half  a mile  from  the  fort,  was  selected  as  the  goal ; 
and  away  we  started  through  the  tall  grass.  It  was  really 
surprising  how  fast  Lizzy  went,  cocking  up  her  rat-like  tail 
and  long  ears  : she  accepted  with  pleasure  the  shower  of 
blows  that  fell  on  her,  and  reached  the  goal  only  twenty 
yards  behind  me.  I laughed  most  heartily  at  the  amusing 
appearance  of  our  naturalist,  and  expressed  my  admiration 
at  his  mule’s  pace  ; but  remarked  at  the  same  time,  that,  for 
no  consideration  in  the  world  would  I ride  her  in  the  coun- 
try I intended  visiting,  because  I was  well  acquainted  with 
the  obstinacy  of  mules,  and  knew,  that,  when  called  on  to 
show  their  speed,  they  refuse  to  do  so,  and  neither  fire  nor 
sword  could  induce  them.  All  such  remarks,  however, 
produced  no  change  in  Kreger’s  invincible  faith  in  hi3 
favorite  ; and  as  if  he  had  assumed  a portion  of  Lizzy’s 
obstinacy  through  his  long,  friendly  relations  with  her,  he 
irrevocably  adhered  to  his  resolution  of  only  entrusting  his 
carcass  to  her  during  the  impending  excursion. 

Our  preparations,  which  were  very  simple,  occupied  us 
about  a week : they  consisted  in  removing  Czar’s  shoes, 
and  rubbing  his  hoofs  frequently  with  bear’s  grease  ; grind- 


The  Naturalist. 


35 


ing  coffee,  and  forcing  it  into  bladders  ; and  in  plaiting  two 
new  lassoes,  for  which  I fetched  two  new  buffalo-hides,  in 
which  chase  the  botanist  accompanied  me,  and  felt  a pride 
in  having  given  me  an  indubitable  proof  of  his  Lizzy’s 
powers  ; for  she  followed  close  at  Czar’s  tail  during  the 
entire  hunt. 

* 

The  day  for  our  start  arrived,  and  the  morning  was  spent 
in  saddling  our  horses,  and  arranging  our  baggage  in  the 
most  suitable  way  for  both  horse  and  rider,  — a most  impor- 
tant thing  in  these  hot  regions  ; for  the  horse’s  back  is  easily 
galled,  and  then  you  are  compelled  to  go  on  foot,  which  is 
very  wearisome  and  fatiguing  in  a country  where  there  are 
no  roads.  The  naturalist  at  length  completed  his  equipment 
of  Lizzy,  who  looked  more  like  a rhinoceros  than  a cross 
between  a horse  and  a donkey.  In  front  of  the  saddle  hung 
the  two  bales  of  blotting-paper  over  the  large  bear-skin 
holsters,  which,  in  addition  to  two  pistols  I had  supplied, 
were  crammed  with  biscuit,  coffee,  pepper  and  salt,  snuff,  &c. 
Over  the  saddle  hung  two  leathern  bags,  fastened  together 
by  a strap,  on  which  the  rider  had  his  seat.  Behind  the 
saddle,  a frying-pan,  coffee-pot,  and  tin  mug,  produced  a 
far  from  pleasing  harmony  at  every  movement  of  the  ani- 
mal. Over  the  whole  of  this,  a gigantic  buffalo-hide  was 
stretched,  and  fastened  with  a surcingle  round  Lizzy’s  stout 
body  ; so  that,  like  a tortoise,  she  only  displayed  her  head 
and  tail,  and  caused  a spectator  the  greatest  doubt  as  to 
what  genus  of  quadruped  she  belonged.  In  order  to  com- 
plete the  picture,  Lizzy  had  two  enormous  bushes  of  a sum- 
mer plant,  which  we  call  “ Spanish  mulberry,”  stuck  behind 
her  ears,  as  a first-rate  specific  to  keep  the  flies’  off.  I had 
repeatedly  told  Kreger  of  the  absurdity  of  covering  Lizzy 
with  this  coat  of  mail,  in  which  she  would  melt  away.  But 
he  said  that  I,  too,  had  a skin  over  my  saddle  ; and  he 


36 


The  Backwoodsman. 


wanted  his  to  protect  him  at  night  against  rain  and  dew. 
On  the  back  of  this  monster  our  naturalist  mounted,  dressed 
in  a long  reddish  homespun  coat,  trowsers  of  the  same  ma- 
terial, though  rather  more  faded,  with  Mexican  spurs  on 
his  heels,  with  wheels  the  size  of  a dollar,  and  a broad- 
brimmed  felt  hat,  under  which  his  long  face,  with  the  large 
light-blue  eyes  and  eternally-smiling  mouth,  peeped  out. 
Over  his  right  shoulder  hung  his  huge  botanizing  case,  and 
over  his  left  a double-barrelled  gun  of  mine,  loaded  with 
slugs  ; his  hat  Mr.  Kreger  had  also  adorned  with  a green 
bush,  and,  sitting  erect  in  his  wooden  Mexican  stirrups,  he 
swung  his  whip,  and  declared  his  readiness  to  start.  I rode 
Czar,  and  the  only  difference  from  my  ordinary  equipment 
was  that  I had  a bag  full  of  provisions  hung  on  the  saddle 
behind  me : this,  and  a little  more  powder  and  lead  than 
usual,  was  all  the  extra  weight  Czar  had  to  carry,  and  toa 
insignificant  for  him  to  feel.  With  a truly  heavy  heart  I 
bade  good-by  to  Trusty,  and  most  earnestly  commended 
him  to  the  care  of  my  men.  I could  not  take  him  with  me* 
to  an  unknown  country,  where  I might  feel  certain  of  get- 
ting into  situations  where  I must  trust  to  the  speed  of  my 
horse,  and  Trusty  might  easily  get  into  trouble.  The  fire- 
arms I left  at  the  service  of  my  garrison,  and,  consisting 
of  nearly  fifty  rifles  and  fowling-pieces,  were  carefully  in- 
spected. We  then  rode  off,  and  soon  heard  the  gate  of  the 
fort  bolted  after  us. 

It  was  the  afternoon  when  we  rode  down  to  the  river-side, 
and  waded  through  the  stream. 

I rode  first,  and  Lizzy  followed  obediently  after  me, 
though  it  cost  some  persuasion  to  make  my  companion 
refrain  from  riding  a few  yards  lower  down,  in  order  to 
pluck  some  specimens  of  the  beautiful  aquatic  plants  grow- 
ing on  the  surface,  for  he  fancied  it  was  no  depth  ; while  ho 


The  XcUuraUsL 


37 


and  his  Lizzy,  heavily  laden  as  they  were,  would  have  sunk, 
and  never  reached  the  bank  again  alive.  We  reached  the 
opposite  side  without  any  difficulty,  and  followed  a deep- 
trodden  buffalo-path  into  the  forest,  which  runs  with  a 
breadth  of  several  miles  along  the  river. 

Our  path  ran  with  a hundred  windings  through  the 
solemn  silence : it  seemed  as  if  every  living  creature  tliat 
had  sought  this  sanctuary,  or  fled  from  the  heated  plain, 
were  silently  revelling  in  its  beauty,  and  gratefully  reposing 
in  its  coolness  ; not  a bird  or  insect  could  be  heard,  not 
even  the  sound  of  a falling  leaf  interrupted  the  tranquillity  ; 
and  only  the  footfalls  of  our  animals,  and  the  snorting  of 
Czar,  echoed  through  the  forest. 

The  sun  was  rather  low  when  we  rode  through  the  wide 
prairie  ; and  we  could  only  advance  slowly,  because  the 
grass  at  many  spots  came  up  to  my  horse’s  back  : our  cattle 
were  very  worn,  and  poor  Lizzy  panted  painfully  under  her 
harness,  while  the  perspiration  poured  from  her  in  streams. 
The  sun  was  setting  when  we  reached  a small  affluent  of 
the  Leone,  where  I knew  of  a good  camping-place,  at  which 
I determined  to  spend  the  night.  We  unloaded  our  ani- 
mals, which  I soon  completed,  as  I merely  undid  the  belly- 
band.  pulled  saddle  and  all  over  Czar's  croup,  removed  the 
bit,  and  then  gave  him  a few  taps  on  his  damp  back  as  a 
sign  that  he  could  go  wherever  he  pleased.  My  companion 
was  much  longer  in  removing  all  the  articles  of  his  house- 
hold from  Lizzy's  back  ; and,  when  he  had  finished,  she  was 
a gruesome  sight.  White  foam  and  dust  had  matted  her 
long  hair ; her  ears  hung  down,  and  almost  touched  the 
ground ; and  her  generally  melancholy  face  was  rendered 
still  more  so  by  the  bushes  waving  over  it.  I really  felt 
sorry  for  the  poor  wretch,  and  bluntly  told  Mr.  Kreger  that 
I would  not  ride  a step  farther  with  him  unless  he  left  the 


38 


The  Backwoodsman. 


buffalo-hide  here.  He  was  also  convinced,  by  his  Lizzy’s 
wretched  appearance,  that  she  could  not  carry  this  weight 
for  long ; and  we  agreed  that  I should  tan  the  hide  of  the 
first  deer  I shot,  and  let  him  use  it.  Lizzy  was  led  into  the 
grass,  and  tied  to  a bush  ; and  we  arranged  our  bivouac  for 
the  night.  Kreger  fetched  dry  wood  and  water ; I lit  the 
fire,  set  coffee  to  boil,  spitted  strips  of  the  turkey  breast  and 
liver,  rubbed  the  meat  in  with  pepper  and  salt,  and  put  it 
to  roast.  Then  I laid  my  horse-rug  on  the  grass,  with  the 
saddle,  holsters,  and  saddle-bag  on  it ; hung  the  bridle  and 
lasso  on  a branch ; and  took  my  seat  in  front  of  the  fire  on 
my  tiger -skin,  while  watching  the  naturalist,  who  was 
making  a thousand  arrangements,  as  if  we  were  going  to 
remain  at  least  a month  here. 

It  had  grown  dark;  supper  was  over.  We  fetched  our 
animals  and  took  them  to  water.  Lizzy  was  hobbled  in  the 
grass  near  our  camp  ; and  Czar  lay  down  behind  a bush, 
but  kept  his  head  up  for  a long  time  as  if  looking  for  some- 
body. It  was  Trusty,  his  playmate,  that  he  missed  ; nor 
did  I feel  altogether  comfortable  under  my  rug.  I dreamed 
nearly  the  whole  night  of  Indians,  and  continually  woke, 
when  I made  up  the  fire,  and  lay  down  again  with  my  rifle 
on  my  arm.  The  botanist,  on  the  contrary,  slept  like  a top, 
packed  up  in  his  buffalo-hide,  with  his  head  on  an  open 
bundle  of  blotting-paper ; at  the  same  time,  he  snored 
nearly  the  whole  night,  which  did  not  help  to  improve  my 
rest.  Before  daybreak  Czar  got  up,  shook  himself,  and 
walked  up  to  Lizzy,  who  still  lay  half  dead  in  the  grass,  as 
if  to  wish  her  good-morning.  I roused  my  companion. 
We  led  the  cattle  to  water ; and,  while  I got  breakfast,  I 
advised  Mr.  Kreger  to  make  some  botanical  researches, 
which  he  did.  He  came  back  with  such  an  armful  of 
plants,  that  I told  him  I thought  he  had  better  not  take 


The  Naturalist. 


39 


more  than  one  specimen  of  each ; as  otherwise,  by  the  end 
of  our  journey,  Lizzy  would  be  unable  to  carry  the  load. 
He  laid  the  plants  in  the  blotting-paper,  bound  his  bundles ; 
and,  ere  we  started,  I rolled  up  the  buffalo-hide  with  the 
hair  outwards,  and  thrust  it  between  two  branches  of  a 
thickly  leaved  tree,  where  it  would  remain  until  our  return. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


MR.  KREGER’S  FATE. 

We  had  a good  day’s  journey  to  our  next  bivouac,  and  I 
was  acquainted  with  the  country  so  far.  We  rode  rather 
sharply,  in  spite  of  the  tall  grass,  and  at  mid-day  reached 
another  small  affluent  of  the  Leone,  where  we  granted  our- 
selves and/ our  cattle  a few  hours’  rest.  During  this  time, 
I went  down  to  the  river-side,  and  shot  a large  deer,  whose 
hide  I conveyed  to  our  resting-place,  along  with  some  of 
the  meat  and  the  skull.  After  scraping  the  skin  quite  clean, 
I split  the  skull,  took  out  the  brains,  made  them  into  a thin 
paste  with  water,  smeared  the  skin  on  the  inside  with  this, 
and  then  rolled  it  up  tight,  and  gave  it  to  Mr.  Kreger  fo 
carry,  promising  to  get  it  ready  for  use  next  day.  Brains 
dress  skins  famously,  and  this  is  the  way  in  which  the  In- 
dians prepare  them.  After  lying  in  this  state  for  four  and 
twenty  hours,  they  are  washed  clean,  hung  up  in  the  shade, 
and,  while  damp,  pulled  over  the  sharp  edge  of  a plank,  or 
the  back  of  a bowie-knife,  till  they  are  quite  dry ; which 
makes  the  skin  as  smooth  and  soft  as  velvet.  In  order  to 
prevent  a skin  prepared  in  this  way  from  turning  hard 
when  exposed  to  the  wet,  it  is  spread  over  a hole  in  the 
ground,  in  which  rotten  wood  is  kindled ; and  it  is  smoked 
on  both  sides  till  it  becomes  quite  yellow.  My  botanist 
employed  the  halt  in  exposing  the  plants  plucked  in  the 
morning  to  the  sun,  while  he  collected  fresh  ones.  The 

40 


Mr.  Kregers  Fate. 


41 


greatest  heat  was  past ; and  it  was  about  three  p.m.  when 
we  set  out  again.  The  country  here  became  more  broken  ; 
the  prairies  were  not  so  extensive,  and  here  and  there  were 
covered  with  clumps  of  trees  and  bushes.  The  grass  was 
not  so  tall  as  on  the  flat  prairies,  which  considerably  ac- 
celerated the  pace  of  our  cattle.  Lizzy,  especially,  seemed 
to  feel  the  difference  between  yesterday  and  to-day,  and 
trotted  lightly  and  cheerfully  by  the  side  of  Czar,  who  on 
such  tours  always  ambled,  — a pace  which  is  very  pleasant 
for  the  rider,  does  not  tire  the  horse,  and  gets  over  the 
ground  wonderfully  quick. 

At  nightfall  we  reached  Turkey  Creek,  as  I had  chris- 
tened it  from  the  great  number  of  those  birds  I found  here.  It 
was  still  light  enough  to  choose  a good  spot  for  our  bivouac, 
where  we  were  near  water : we  were  tolerably  hidden,  and 
had  very  good  grass  for  our  cattle.  This  evening,  however, 
Czar  was  hobbled  ; that  is  to  say,  a short  line  round  his 
neck  was  hooked  to  a padded  ring  he  always  wore  on  his 
near  forefoot,  so  that  he  was  obliged  to  keep  his  head  to 
the  ground,  or  his  foot  in  the  air,  and  hence  could  only 
walk. 

Lizzy  was  again  picketed,  and  we  kept  a watchful  eye 
on  the  animals  during  the  two  hours  they  were  grazing ; 
for  I had  nearly  reached  the  end  of  my  terra  cognita , and 
the  border  of  regions  which  had  never  yet  been  visited  by 
palefaces.  Ere  we  went  to  sleep,  the  logs  were  covered 
with  ashes,  the  cattle  fastened  to  trees  close  to  us,  and  we 
lay  down  to  rest  after  supper ; but  I could  not  sleep  so 
soundly  as  when  I had  Trusty  by  my  side : the  slightest 
sound  disturbed  me,  and  it  was  always  a long  time  ere  I 
fell  asleep  again.  About  midnight  I started  up,  and  fancied 
I had  been  dreaming  about  a storm  ; I looked  up,  and  saw 
that  all  the  stars  had  disappeared  : at  the  same  moment  the 


42 


The  Backwoodsman. 


surrounding  landscape  was  lit  up  by  a flash  of  lightning ; 
and  a violent  thimder-clap  rolled  down  the  valley.  I sprang 
up,  blew  the  fire  into  a flame,  laid  wood  on  it,  and  woke 
the  snoring  naturalist,  who  asked,  in  great  alarm,  about 
the  cause  of  being  disturbed.  I advised  him  to  do  as  I did  : 
then  broke  off  an  armful  of  bushes,  laid  them  in  a heap, 
put  my  pistols  and  bags  on  it,  with  the  saddle  over  them, 
covered  them  with  the  horse-rug,  and  laid  the  jaguar-skin 
over  all ; after  which  I helped  Kreger  to  put  his  traps  in 
safety,  in  which  he  greatly  missed  the  buffalo-hide. 

While  we  were  occupied  with  these  preparations,  the 
thunder  rolled  almost  uninterruptedly ; and  the  incessant 
flashes  kept  the  tall  trees  brilliantly  illumined.  From  the 
north  we  heard  a sound  like  a distant  waterfall ; and  the 
turmoil  soon  rose  to  the  mournful  howling  of  the  tempest 
which  is  only  to  be  heard  in  these  regions.  I was  well  ac- 
quainted with  the  approaching  spirit  of  the  storm,  for  I had 
often  met  it ; hence  I went  up  to  Czar,  put  on  his  head-gear, 
and  threw  the  bridle  over  my  shoulder,  giving  Kreger  a hint 
to  do  the  same  with  Lizzy.  But  he  had  quite  lost  his  head, 
and  ran  first  to  his  heap  of  traps  and  then  to  the  mule,  when 
the  storm  burst  over  our  heads  in  all  its  fury,  and  made 
the  primeval  trees  crack  in  their  very  roots.  It  swept 
the  earth,  and  carried  away  with  it  an  avalanche  of  dust, 
leaves,  and  branches  : our  fire  stretched  out  long  tongues 
of  flame  over  the  ground,  and  sent  its  sparks  whirling 
through  the  coal-black  night  into  the  gloomy  wood.  The 
groans  of  the  hurricane  were  blended  with  the  deafening 
peals  of  thunder,  which  at  every  second  made  the  earth 
tremble  under  our  feet ; and  I had  the  greatest  difficulty  in 
making  Kreger  understand  that  he  should  come  to  me.  I 
had  selected  a young  white-oak,  whose  branches  were  inter- 
laced with  creepers,  to  shelter  myself  and  Czar,  and  had 


Mr.  Kregers  Fate.  43 

got  out  of  the  way  of  two  lofty  planes  which  were  singing 
their  death-plaint. 

The  fury  of  the  storm  still  increased  ; blast  followed  blast, 
crash  followed  crash  ; the  crowns  of  the  two  planes  bent 
more  and  more  ; and,  with  a shock  resembling  an  earth- 
quake, they  suddenly  fell  across  our  fire,  which  scattered  in 
all  directions  like  a bursting  shell,  and  hurled  logs  and 
brands  over  our  heads.  Czar  started  back,  and  in  his 
terror  would  have  broken  half  a dozen  lassoes,  had  I not 
been  prepared  for  this,  and  followed  him  with  the  bridle, 
while  Lizzy  dragged  my  companion,  who  would  not  loose 
the  lasso,  for  a long  distance  through  the  grass. 

The  first  drops  of  rain  now  fell,  and  I knew  that  the 
greatest  fury  of  the  storm  had  passed.  I led  Czar  back 
under  the  oak,  held  my  rifle  with  the  hammer  down  under 
my  arm-pit,  shouted  to  Kreger  to  follow  me,  and  stood  as 
erect  under  my  broad-brimmed  hat  as  I could.  The  rain 
fell  in  torrents,  so  that  in  a few  minutes  we  had  not  a dry 
thread  on  us  ; a stream  flowed  between  our  feet,  and  the 
storm  chilled  us  to  the  marrow.  We  stood  silent,  like  her- 
ons ; and,  though  it  was  so  dark  that  we  could  not  see  each 
other,  we  were  contented  at  being  still  alive,  and  having 
our  horses  with  us.  It  rained  till  nearly  morning,  which 
was  never  more  heartily  greeted  than  by  us  two  ; and,  ere 
long,  a clear  blue  sky  cheered  us.  The  greatest  difficulty 
was  to  light  the  fire  again.  My  traps  had  remained  per- 
fectly dry,  as  they  were  protected  by  the  bushes  underneath, 
and  the  storm  had  been  unable  to  touch  them  : I had  the 
means  of  making  fire  ; but  dry  wood  was  not  so  easy  to  pro- 
cure : still  I succeeded  in  getting  some  out  of  a hollow  old 
oak,  and  the  botanist’s  blotting-paper  helped  to  kindle  the 
flame.  It  was  scarce  blazing  ere  we  laid  armfuls  of  dead 
wood  from  the  fallen  trees  upon  it,  and  soon  produced  such 


44 


The  Backwoodsman. 


a heat,  that  it  dried  us  in  a very  short  time.  Kreger’s  traps 
had  become  rather  wet ; but  the  damage  could  be  easily  re- 
paired : and  we  did  not  the  less  enjoy  our  breakfast  on  that 
account.  The  sun  came  out  with  its  warming,  cheering 
beams,  and  lit  up  the  ruin  which  the  storm  had  created  dur- 
ing the  night ; while  a calm  glad  smile  on  the  face  of  sur- 
rounding nature  seemed  to  contradict  the  possibility  of  its 
being  capable  of  any  such  wild  passion. 

We  were  ready  to  start  at  a tolerably  early  hour  ; but  an 
obstacle  offered  itself  which  threatened  to  take  us  far  out 
of  our  course.  The  usually  insignificant  stream  had  swollen 
into  such  a rapid  torrent,  and  spread  so  far  over  its  banks, 
that  we  could  not  hope  to  cross  it. 

I had  no  intention  to  stop  here,  and  preferred  aiding  up 
the  stream,  in  order  to  try  and  find  a ford  where  we  could 
cross  without  danger.  We  rode  for  a good  two  hours 
along  the  bank.  The  trees  continually  grew  scantier,  and 
the  road  more  difficult  through  scattered  bowlders  and  rocks. 
Between  these,  huge  ferns  sprang  up,  and,  with  the  fallen 
trees,  frequently  blocked  the  way,  so  that  we  had  to  make  a 
long  circuit  to  fetch  the  river  again.  At  length  we  reached 
a spot  where  the  stream  was  more  contracted ; and  an  old 
cypress  lay  across  it,  which  had  been  probably  levelled  by 
some  storm.  I went  across  the  trunk,  cut  a long  bough,  and 
sounded  the  ground  on  the  opposite  bank  : it  rose  at  a steep 
pitch  from  the  water,  and  was  firm,  so  that  I had  no  doubt 
but  that  our  animals  could  easily  clamber  up  it.  I took  the 
packages  off  Czar,  carried  them  across,  then  fastened  the 
lasso  to  my  horse’s  bridle-ring,  and  crossed  the  stream  with 
it,  shouting  to  him  to  follow  me.  The  bank  on  his  side 
was  rather  steep,  which  fact  he  had  discovered  by  feeling 
with  his  fore-feet ; but  he  leaped  with  all  four  feet  into  the 
stream,  bounded,  up  the  other  bank,  and  set  to  work  on 


» 


Mr . Kregers  Fate. 


45 


the  grass,  which  had  been  freshened  by  the  last  night’s 
rain.  Kreger  followed  my  example  ; but  Lizzy  would  not 
venture  the  leap  : I therefore  went  across,  suddenly  seized 
her  hind-quarters,  and  pushed  her  into  the  stream,  which 
she  entered  head-foremost,  but  soon  reached  the  other  side 
uninjured. 

We  loaded  again,  and  rode  down  the  stream  opposite  the 
spot  where  we  had  spent  the  night.  It  was  mid-day  by  this 
time  ; and,  though  the  heat  was  not  oppressive,  our  animals 
required  a rest.  We  dined,  and  mounted  again  at  about 
two  o’clock.  From  this  point,  the  country  was  quite  strange 
to  me ; and  it  was  necessary  to  make  sure  of  the  direction 
in  which  we  proceeded.  I compared  the  compass  let  into 
my  rifle-but  with  the  one  I had  in  my  pocket ; and  we  rode 
at  a quick  pace  toward  the  north-west. 

The  country  again  became  flat,  but  very  pleasant  for  our- 
selves and  our  horses. 

About  six  in  the  evening,  we  crossed  another  small 
stream,  which  probably  also  flows  into  the  Rio  Grande, 
where  we  could  have  spent  the  night  very  comfortably ; 
but  we  only  filled  our  gourds,  let  our  steeds  take  a hearty 
drink,  and  rode  on,  as  we  could  at  all  events  pass  the  night 
now  without  water.  At  about  nine  o’clock,  we  reached, 
with  pleasant  conversation,  the  end  of  the  post-oaks, 
through  whose  middle  a clear  stream  wound.  We  greeted 
it  gladly ; for  it  is  always  disagreeable  to  camp  without 
water  near  at  hand.  Our  animals  were  soon  unpacked,  a 
small  fire  was  lit  in  the  thickest  bushes  ; and,  at  about  eleven 
o’clock,  we  lay  down,  with  Czar  and  Lizzy  by  our  side, 
hoping  for  a better  night  than  the  last.  We  slept  glori- 
ously, and  awoke  the  next  morning  invigorated,  and  in  the 
best  spirits. 

The  sun  had  just  risen  over  the  horizon  when  we  mounted 


y 


46  The  Backwoodsman. 

and  rode  over  the  plain,  after  taking,  with  the  help  of  the 
compass,  the  nearest  direction  to  the  forest  rising  in  the 
blue  distance  above  the  wide  prairie.  According  to  my 
calculation,  it  was  about  ten  miles  off.  The  prairie  was 
very  flat,  and  only  a few  mosquito-trees  grew  on  it  here 
and  there  ; which  sufficed  to  estimate  distances,  for  that  is  a 
difficult  job  without  such  marks.  I told  Kreger  it  would  be 
better  for  us  to  push  on,  now  the  road  was  good  ; for  a feel- 
ing of  anxiety  involuntarily  oppressed  me  on  this  broad 
plain,  where  we  could  be  so  easily  observed  from  the  woods 
that  formed  a semicircle  round  it.  I spoke  to  Czar  every 
now  and  then  ; and  we  had  nearly  reached  the  middle  of  the 
prairie  when  my  horse  gave  a start,  and  tried  to  break  into 
a gallop.  I attempted  to  pacify  him ; but  he  soon  began 
snorting,  and  could  not  be  held  in. 

I had  examined  the  prairie  on  either  side  of  us  ; and, 
when  I looked  behind,  to  my  horror  I saw  a band  of  Indi- 
ans coming  after  us  at  full  speed,  in  frout  of  a cloud  of 
dust.  My  next  glance  was  at  the  forest  ahead  of  us,  to 
calculate  how  far  it  still  was  ; and  then  my  eyes  fell  in  ter- 
ror on  the  mule  at  my  side.  The  band  of  Indians  consisted 
of  at  least  a hundred,  and  hence  must  belong  to  a powerful 
tribe,  possessing  the  best  horses  and  weapons.  I turned 
deadly  cold  when  I looked  at  Kreger,  who  as  yet  had  no 
idea  of  our  peril,  and  was  carelessly  whistling.  I made 
the  utmost  efforts  to  remain  quiet,  or  at  least  to  appear  so, 
in  order  not  to  terrify  my  companion,  and  begged  him  to 
urge  on  his  mule,  while  I loosed  the  rein  of  my  snorting 
steed,  and  allowed  it  to  make  a few  forward  bounds. 
Whether  Kreger  noticed  a change  in  my  countenance  or 
voice  I do  not  know ; but  he  looked  round,  and  uoticing 
the  approaching  savages,  with  the  ejaculation,  “ Great 
Heavens,  Indians ! ” he  drove  his  enormous  spurs  into  his 


Mr.  Kreger  s Fate. 


47 


mule’s  flanks,  and  pulled  his  bridle  so  tight  that  the  exces- 
sively sharp  bit  lacerated  the  wretched  Lizzy’s  mouth. 
Kreger  had  turned  deadly  pale.  He  looked  wildly  around 
him,  and  showered  blows  with  his  whip  on  Lizzy’s  hind- 
quarters. At  his  first  movements,  I foresaw  what  would 
happen,  and  tried  to  make  him  understand,  that,  if  he  let  go 
the  reins,  Lizzy  would  be  sure  to  follow  Czar  ; and  we  should 
be  able  to  reach  ihe  forest,  where  the  Indians  could  not  hurt 
us.  He  did  not  hear, — he  did  not  see.  A picture  of  horror, 
he  stared  fixedly  before  him  ; and  Lizzy,  putting  her  head 
between  her  legs,  began  kicking  out  behind.  The  danger 
grew  every  minute ; for  the  yell  of  the  cannibal  horde, 
borne  on  the  breeze,  was  already  echoing  in  our  ears.  I 
rode  up  to  Kreger,  and  tried  to  drag  the  reins  out  of  his 
hand  ; but  it  was  of  no  use  ; no  prayers,  no  remonstrances, 
reached  his  ear.  It  was  almost  impossible  for  me  to  hold 
Czar  in  any  longer  ; for  at  one  moment  he  reared,  at  another 
bounded  onward. 

The  Indians  during  this  time  had  drawn  so  near  that  I 
could  hear  their  several  voices,  and  distinguish  the  bright 
colors  with  which  their  faces  were  painted.  Our  lives  were 
in  the  greatest  danger.  My  horse  was  terribly  excited  ; and 
any  slip  on  his  part  would  infallibly  entail  my  death.  Once 
more  I shouted  to  Kreger  to  be  reasonable,  and  let  go  the 
reins  ; but  he  did  not  hear  me.  Minutes  pressed.  I let 
Czar  go,  and  flew  like  the  wind  away  from  the  hapless 
man,  who  was  left  to  his  fate  ; and  my  staying  longer  would 
be  of  no  avail.  I quieted  my  horse,  and  looked  back  at  my 
unfortunate  companion.  The  horde  was  now  close  behind 
him  ; in  a second,  a dense  cloud  of  dust  surrounded  him  and 
the  savages,  while  a yell  of  triumph,  whose  cause  I could 
guess  only  too  well,  reached  my  ears.  I pressed  closer 
to  Czar,  patted  his  neck,  and  away  we  flew  like  light.  I 


48 


The  Backwoodsman. 


looked  round  again  ; a dense  mob  of  redskins  was  after 
me ; and,  by  their  inhuman  yells,  they  gave  me  to  under- 
stand that  I was  to  be  their  victim  also. 

The  distance  between  us,  however,  had  been  increased. 
I drew  a fresh  breath  ; and  my  passion  soon  dispelled  my 
feelings  of  pity,  and  its  sister,  fear.  The  forest  rose  rap- 
idly before  me,  and  my  safety  only  depended  on  this  ques- 
tion: Was  there  a stream  on  this  side  the  wood?  Firmly 
resolved,  even  in  that  event,  to  force  Czar  in,  I clung  closer 
to  him  with  my  knees,  and  gave  him  a cheery  chirrup. 
Like  a swan  he  flew  over  the  grass  towards  the  woods, 
whose  single  trees  I already  distinguished.  There  was  no 
river  on  this  side ; and  I soon  reached  the  dense  foliage, 
and  led  Czar  snorting  and  champing  in,  while  my  pursuers, 
now  few  in  number,  stopped  a long  way  from  me  on  the 
prairie.  I took  out  my  handkerchief,  and  waved  it  at  them 
to  annoy  them  ; for  I would  but  too  gladly  have  avenged  my 
unhappy  comrade : but  they  turned  round,  and  I went 

along  the  buffalo-path  into  the  forest,  dragging  Czar  after 
me. 

For  about  an  hour  I walked  through  the  gloomy  shade, 
cutting  my  way  among  the  numerous  creepers,  till  I reached 
a stream  whose  banks  were  quite  forty  feet  above  the 
water.  The  forest,  on  both  sides  of  the  path  where  it  led 
down  to  the  river,  was  so  overgrown  with  thorns,  that  it 
was  impossible  to  go  up  or  down  the  river-side,  especially 
with  a horse  ; nor  would  it  do  to  stay  here  all  night  with 
Czar,  as  there  was  nothing  for  him  to  eat,  and,  in  event  of 
pursuit,  I could  be  easily  tracked.  Hence,  I soon  made  up 
my  mind,  mounted  Czar,  hung  my  pistol-belt  and  saddle- 
bags over  my  shoulders,  took  my  rifle  in  my  right  hand, 
and  forced  him  to  follow  the  path  down  to  the  stream.  It 
was  so  steep,  that  walking  was  impossible  ; but  the  faithful 


Mr.  Kregers  Fate. 


49 


creature,  once  on  the  steep,  half  slipped,  half  fell,  into  the 
river,  as  the  bank  was  very  smooth  and  slippery.  The 
waves,  as  he  fell  in,  broke  over  the  saddle-bow  ; but  the 
horse  at  once  raised  the  whole  of  its  back  above  the  surface, 
and,  snorting  and  puffing,  passed  the  crystalline  flood. 

In  spite  of  the  rapid  current,  we  reached  the  other  side, 
when  the  path  again  ran  up  the  bluff ; but,  had  it  been  a 
few  yards  lower  down,  the  horse  would  never  have  been 
able  to  climb  the  steep.  The  bank,  as  it  was,  was  very  high 
and  precipitous  ; but  my  steed’s  strength  was  equal  to  the 
emergency,  and  burying  its  delicate  feet  in  the  soft,  loose 
soil,  it  sprang  up  the  bank,  forcing  me  to  cling  round  its 
neck,  lest  I should  slip  off  behind. 

I led  Czar  into  the  nearest  thicket,  unsaddled  and  hobbled 
him,  and  lit  a small  fire,  partly  to  dry  my  clothes,  partly  to 
make  a cup  of  hot  coffee  ; for  I had  turned  chill,  and  felt 
quite  worn  out,  I had  chosen  my  bivouac,  so  that  I could 
see  for  a long  distance  along  the  road  I had  come,  and  kept 
my  weapons  in  readiness,  so  that  I might  sell  my  life  as 
dearly  as  possible,  were  I pursued.  The  scene  of  horror  I 
had  witnessed  so  lately,  the  probably  frightful  death  of  the 
naturalist,  rose  vividly  before  me  ; and,  though  I had  ac- 
customed myself  to  society  again  for  a very  short  time,  I 
now  felt  very  lonely,  and  reproached  myself  for  having  ever 
consented  to  let  Kreger  ride  a mule  on  this  journey,  when 
I knew  the  great  danger.  That  he  had  fallen  a victim  to 
this  error  there  could  be  no  doubt ; still  I resolved  to  make 
certain  of  his  fate. 

Night  set  in,  the  fire  had  burnt  low,  Czar  lay  close  to 
me  ; and  I threw  myself  over  his  neck,  patting  him  for  his 
pluck  and  fidelity : he  was  very  tired,  and  frequently  gave 
a sigh,  nor  did  he  stir  the  whole  night  through.  I remained 
awake  till  near  morning  ; and,  although  I dozed  now  and 


50 


The  Backwoodsman. 


then,  I was  soon  aroused  by  the  hoot  of  an  owl,  the  yell 
of  a wolf,  or  the  mournful  cry  of  a panther ; and  I then 
listened  to  the  sound  of  every  falling  leaf  and  every  leaping 
squirrel.  The  night  was  cool,  too,  the  ground  under  me 
rather  damp,  and  the  dew  very  heavy ; so  that  I really 
awaited  daylight  with  longing.  Czar,  however,  would  not 
get  up,  and  I let  him  lie ; for  I knew  that  he  needed  rest, 
and  I might  very  possibly  be  obliged  to  trust  to  his  powers 
during  the  day.  I had  drunk  a cup  of  coffee,  and  eaten  a 
slice  of  venison  by  the  time  my  faithful  comrade  rose.  I 
led  him  down  to  the  water,  and  saw  a number  of  turkeys 
taking  their  morning  draught  at  the  river-side,  but  dared 
not  fire  for  fear  of  betraying  myself.  It  was  about  ten 
o’clock  when  I started  down  the  stream  again  to  find  a con- 
venient ford.  The  forest  grew  thinner,  the  shores  flatter, 
and  I soon  found  a deeply  trampled  buffalo-path  which  con- 
veyed me  without  difficulty  across  the  river  ; for,  though  it 
was  very  wide,  it  was  quite  shallow.  Within  half  an  hour 
I was  again  on  the  same  prairie  where  Czar  had  saved  me 
yesterday,  and  where  the  poor  botanist  had  probably  met 
his  fate.  I cautiously  examined  the  whole  plain  with  my 
glass,  and  could  not  see  any  thing  except  a few  herds  of 
buffalo,  and  a number  of  deer  grazing  carelessly  among 
them.  I rode  up  the  forest-side  to  the  path,  where  I found 
my  previous  trail,  which  was  crossed  by  later  hoofmarks, 
and  then  proceeded  cautiously  in  the  direction  of  the  spot 
where  I had  left  my  companion. 

While  still  a long  way  off,  I saw  the  fearful  sight  before 
me.  The  sun  lit  up  his  bloody  corpse  stretched  out  on  the 
grass.  I rode  up  to  him,  and  found  that  he  was  lying  on 
his  back,  without  his  scalp,  and  covered  all  over  with  lance 
and  arrow  wounds.  None  of  his  clothing  had  been  left 
him  ; the  only  things  I found  were  my  destroyed  pistols  and 


Mr.  Kregers  Fate . 


51 

double-barrelled  gun,  from  which  I removed  the  locks : 
even  the  blotting-paper  had  been  taken,  though  for  what 
purpose  was  a mystery.  I would  have  gladly  dragged  the 
body  to  the  wood,  and  buried  it ; but  the  distance  was  too 
great  to  do  so  without  help.  I therefore  bade  him  a sileut 
farewell,  and  turned  my  horse  to  the  ford  where  I had 
crossed  the  river  that  morning. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


A LONELY  RIDE. 

My  route  led  me  from  here  through  a very  fine  country, 
consisting  of  undulating*  plateaux,  covered  with  splendid 
mosquito-grass,  and  picturesquely  broken  up  by  post-oaks. 
It  was  still  early  in  the  evening  when  I neared  one  of  these 
mounds,  and  let  my  horse  refresh  itself  in  a rippling  stream 
at  its  base.  The  stream  came  straight  down  from  the 
thicket  on  the  mound ; and  the  spot  pleased  me  so  well,  that 
I resolved  to  pass  the  night  there.  I rode  up  the  hill  to  tho 
wood,  whose  tall  trees  chiefly  consisted  of  holm-oaks,  with 
a thick  undergrowth  of  rhododendra  and  azaleas. 

Here  I encamped  and  hobbled  Czar,  who  mercilessly 
plucked  many  a beautiful  flower,  and  champed  it  between 
his  teeth  with  the  tender  grass.  I then  took  my  rifle  in 
order  to  see  whether  there  was  any  dangerous  animal  in  the 
wood,  which  was  about  a thousand  yards  in  diameter.  I 
had  crept  through  it,  and  met  nothing  except  a few  old  does 
that  had  their  fawns  hidden  here  ; and,  when  I stepped  out 
on  to  the  prairie,  I saw  a herd  of  large  male  antelopes  graz- 
ing about  a thousand  yards  from  me.  This  graceful  ani- 
mal, though  frequent  in  our  parts,  is  rarely  killed  by  the 
sportsman  ; for  it  is  the  most  shy  of  animals.  Great  curi- 
osity alone  brings  it  at  times  in  the  vicinity  of  the  watch- 
ing gun,  and  hence  I tried  to  attract  the  bucks  grazing 
ahead  of  me.  I chose  a spot  covered  with  rather  tall  grass, 
lay  down  on  it  with  my  cocked  rifle  by  my  side,  but  drew 
62 


A Lonely  Ride. 


53 


my  ramrod  out,  and  fastened  my  handkerchief  to  it.  I then 
whistled  so  loudly,  that  the  sound  reached  the  antelopes. 
All  looked  round  towards  me  at  once ; and  I raised  one  foot 
in  the  air,  and  lowered  it  again  a minute  after.  I saw  that 
tliey  had  noticed  it,  and  were  leaping  about ; I then  raised 
the  pocket-handkerchief,  and  lowered  it  again ; upon  which 
the  herd  got  in  motion,  led  by  one  of  the  largest  bucks. 
They  came  near  me  in  a large  circle ; but  I continued  my 
telegraphic  motions  till  the  antelopes,  urged  by  their  fatal 
curiosity,  came  within  shot ; and  their  leader  fell  bleeding 
among  the  flowers,  giving  the  flying  herd  a sad  parting  glance 
with  its  large  beauteous  eyes.  I jumped  up  and  fired  my 
second  barrel  after  the  fugitives.  Clap  ! I heard  the  bullet 
enter  the  mark ; and  another  buck  fell  on  the  grass  after  a 
few  more  bounds. 

I cut  off  the  best  lumps  of  game,  and  went  back  to  the 
dark  shade,  in  which  Czar  greeted  me  with  a whinny  of 
delight,  and  rested  on  my  horse-rug,  refreshed  by  the  deli- 
cious perfumes  of  hyacinths,  jonquils,  daffodils,  and  narcis- 
suses, that  surrounded  me.  The  night  was  warm  ; and  I 
required  no  fire  after  I had  finished  supper.  I slept  splen- 
didly, with  Czar  at  my  side ; and  the  sun  ,was  high  when  I 
awoke  to  find  my  horse  browsing  on  the  grass  within  reach 
- of  his  tether.  I washed  Czar  clean,  which  I never  neg- 
lected whin  I had  the  chance,  and  rode  out  of  my  arbor 
down  the  side  of  the  hill,  whence  I could  survey  the  coun- 
try before  me  for  many  miles. 

A glorious  picture  was  spread  out.  The  sun  was  not 
very  high  yet,  so  that  the  shadows  over  the  landscape  were 
rather  long ; and  the  light  mist  gave  the  distance  that  red- 
dish-blue  tone  which  renders  a landscape  with  a rich,  bold 
foreground  so  exquisite. 

For  two  days  I wandered  through  these  gardens  of  na- 


54 


The  Backwoodsman. 


ture,  without  being  checked  by  any  material  obstacle.  On 
the  third  day,  I reached  the  mountains  ; and  at  evening 
found  myself  at  the  height  where  the  limestone  leaves  off 
and  the  red  granite  begins.  To  my  surprise  I saw  a splen- 
did spring  flowing  from  a narrow  fissure  in  the  granite, 
with  sufficient  grass  growing  near  it  to  give  Czar  his  supper 
and  breakfast.  I stopped  here  for  the  night,  and  had  a glo- 
rious view  from  this  stony  height. 

Day  awoke  me  from  a refreshing  sleep  as  the  sun  was 
gilding  the  summits  of  the  mountains  that  emerged  from 
the  sea  of  fog  at  my  feet,  round  which  the  large  eagles  were 
circling.  Greatly  invigorated,  I bade  adieu  to  my  pleasant 
resting-place,  and  led  Czar  over  the  rocks  to  the  nearest  val- 
ley, which  soon  received  us  under  its  shady  trees.  I trav- 
ersed the  valley  for  about  two  hours  in  a northern  direction, 
following  the  course  of  a clear  stream  which  ran  through, 
with  a thousand  windings,  like  a mighty  snake,  and  was 
framed  in  on  both  sides  by  thick  bushes  and  old  overgrown 
trees. 

About  mid-day,  as  I was  following  one  of  these  wind- 
ings, I suddenly  found  myself  a few  paces  from  a camp  of 
Cato  Indians,  and  a general  “ Ugh  ” reached  my  ear,  as  the 
men,  about  thirty  in  number,  sprang  up  ; and  we  gazed  at 
each  other  in  surprise,  watching  for  a signal  of  peace  or 
war.  My  presence  of  mind  did  not  desert  me  ; and  know- 
ing that  these  savages,  when  they  have  their  wives  and  chil- 
dren with  them,  prefer  a peaceful  understanding,  I waved  a 
good-morning  to  them  with  a pleasant  smile,  and  rode, 
holding  my  rifle  and  watching  every  movement  of  the  men, 
to  the  next  bend  in  the  river,  while  the  savages  looked  after 
me  with  open  mouth,  as  if  petrified.  When  I had  got 
round  a curve  and  was  protected  by  the  bushes,  my  first 
idea  was  to  give  Czar  the  spur,  and  gallop  away ; but  this 


A Lonely  Ride. 


55 


would  only  have  been  a challenge  to  the  Indians  to  pursue 
me  : hence  I made  him  amble,  as  well  as  he  could  manage 
it  in  the  tall  grass,  and  hastened  to  get  out  of  this  unpleas- 
ant company.  It  was  highly  probable  that  the  savages 
would  follow  me,  if  only  to  get  hold  of  my  fine  horse  : 
hence  I was  obliged  to  calculate  my  next  steps.  I had  but 
the  choice  of  two  ways,  — either  to  throw  out  the  savages 
by  riding  in  the  water  and  on  stony  ground,  where  they 
could  not  follow  my  trail,  and  then  concealing  myself  at 
some  easily  defended  spot,  — or  else  to  ride  quickly  away 
from  them  so  far  that  they  could  not  follow  me  on  their 
wretched  horses.  The  former  was  difficult  and  dubious,  as 
the  Indian’s  eye  surpasses  the  nose  of  the  best  pointer  ; and 
hence  I chose  the  other,  trusting  to  my  horse’s  speed. 

I cut  off  a slice  of  the  antelope’s  leg,  which  was  hanging 
on  my  saddle,  about  enough  for  supper,  and  left  the  rest  be- 
hind, not  to  give  my  horse  any  unnecessary  weight : then  I 
set  Czar  at  a sharp  trot  where  the  grass  was  dry  ; and,  when 
I reached  barren  ground,  made  him  amble,  — a pace  at 
which  he  could  do  his  mile  in  three  minutes  when  put  to  it, 
though  he  took  eight  minutes  when  not  hurried,  and  could 
go  on  for  hours  without  a rest.  I followed  the  course  of 
the  water,  and,  at  the  end  of  some  hours,  reached  a gorge 
where  the  river  ran  through  perpendicular  rocks,  and  where 
my  horse  had  scarce  room  to  pass.  I could  see  the  water 
for  nearly  two  miles  ahead : the  current  was  wilder  and 
swifter  here  ; and,  on  looking  down  at  its  surface,  I noticed 
several  spots  where  the  water  rippled  and  foamed  as  it  ran 
over  rocks  and  stones.  On  both  sides  of  the  pass,  the  gran- 
ite walls  rose  many  hundred  feet,  so  that  it  was  impossible  to 
scale  them ; and  though,  farther  to  the  right  and  left,  buf- 
falo-paths ran  up  them,  the  Indians  must  be  well  aware  of 
this  fact,  and  were  probably  lying  in  ambush  for  me  there, 


56 


The  Backwoodsman. 


as  they  must  have  noticed  from  my  course  that  I was  quite 
a stranger  to  the  country.  There  was  only  one  choice  for 
me,  and  I quickly  made  up  my  mind.  I put  my  holsters 
over  my  shoulder,  placed  in  them  those  articles  which 
must  not  be  wetted,  and  guided  Czar  into  the  river,  in 
which  he  floated  down  with  me  at  a tremendous  pace  past 
the  rock-walls.  I was  not  at  all  afraid  about  swimming 
him  for  an  hour : the  sole  danger  of  the  undertaking  con- 
sisted in  the  large  masses  of  rock  over  which  the  stream 
broke,  and  against  which  we  ran  in  less  than  ten  minutes. 
The  river-bed  was  here  rather  wider,  and  hence,  fortunately, 
the  stream  not  so  violent,  or  else  we  should  probably  both 
have  found  a watery  grave.  My  alarm  lest  Czar  had  in- 
jured himself  was  alleviated  by  his  speedy  return  to  the  sur- 
face ; and,  as  be  blew  the  water  from  his  nostrils,  we  followed 
the  stream  to  a wall  of  rock,  where  I noticed  that  the  water 
was  calm  at  the  right  hand  end.  I steered  for  this  point ; 
and  we  swam  unimpeded  through  this  channel  into  the  deep 
water  till  the  valley  opened  again  before  us,  and  my  brave 
horse  trod  on  the  sand.  I led  him  into  the  grass,  examiued 
him  carefully,  and  found  that  he  was  slightly  grazed  on  the 
near  foreleg  and  the  knee  ; but  this  caused  me  no  apprehen- 
sion. I let  him  rest  in  the  shade  for  half  an  hour,  as  he 
was  greatly  excited,  gave  him  all  the  white  sugar  I had 
brought  expressly  for  him,  and  which  was  now  wet ; and 
then  continued  my  journey  along  the  river,  as  the  grass, 
which  must  have  been  burnt  here  late  in  winter,  and  the 
fresh-grown  crop  had  not  yet  sprung  up,  did  not  impede 
Czar’s  speed. 

The  valley  constantly  grew  wider,  and  trended  to  the 
west.  I left  it  at  about  six  p.m.,  and  followed  a stream 
which  ran  from  the  north.  Going  along  it  till  night-fall,  I 
reached  its  source  in  the  mountains,  and  was  at  least  forty 


A Lonely  Ride. 


57 


miles  from  the  Indians,  when  I unsaddled  Czar,  and  hot  bled 
him  in  the  soft  grass.  I felt  quite  secure  here,  for  I was  no 
longer  frightened  about  pursuit  by  the  Catos  ; and  it  was  not 
probable  that  accident  would  lead  other  Indians  here  at  so 
late  an  hour,  when  they  never  march  except  for  some  spe- 
cial reason.  Czar  was  tired,  and  soon  came  to  me,  holding 
up  his  hobbled  leg,  begging  me  to  set  him  at  liberty ; and, 
when  I had  thrown  the  lasso  over  his  neck,  he  stretched  his 
delicate  limbs  on  the  grass.  I,  too,  fell  back  on  my  saddle, 
and  slept  so  soundly  till  morning,  that  I did  not  once  look 
after  the  fire  ; and,  on  waking,  did  not  find  a spark  among 
the  ashes.  It  was  soon  lighted  again,  and  breakfast  pre- 
pared, before  which  I had  a bath  in  the  spring.  Then  I 
lit  a pipe,  washed  Czar  all  over,  and  left  the  well-head,  go- 
ing towards  the  mountains  in  the  north. 

The  road  was  so  steep  and  fatiguing,  that  I dismounted : 
still,  I seemed  to  be  on  a path  at  times  trodden  by  buffaloes, 
which  was  continued  when  I reached  the  top,  where  a wide 
table-land,  covered  with  rich  vegetation,  was  expanded  be- 
fore me.  On  all  sides  I saw  herds  of  grazing  buffalo  ; but, 
though  my  mouth  watered  for  a slice  of  hump  and  a marrow- 
bone, I did  not  like  to  distress  my  horse,  or  go  too  far  away 
from  him  while  stalking.  I rode  quietly  on  through  the 
tall  grass,  resolved  only  to  shoot  some  animal  I could  ride 
up  to,  and  succeeded  in  doing  so  towards  evening,  when  I 
saw  something  dark  moving  in  the  grass,  which  I recog- 
nized as  a black  wolf.  In  a second  I was  off  Czar’s  back, 
as  I should  be  very  glad  of  such  a skin  ; and  was  just  about 
to  fire,  /when  I saw,  on  the  other  side  of  a ditch  I had  not 
observed  in  the  tall  grass,  a very  large  bear  running  away. 
Owing  to  the  high  plants,  I could  not  fire  ; and,  forgetting 
my  former  resolution,  I leapt  on  Czar’s  back,  and  flew  after 
the  fat  fellow.  His  road  led  through  a number  of  low  mos- 


58 


The  Backwoodsman. 


quito-trees,  so  that  I was  obliged  to  bend  down  over  my 
horse’s  neck  to  escape  being  caught  in  the  branches.  I was 
close  to  the  bear ; but  it  coursed  so  rapidly  under  the 
branches,  that  I could  not  give  it  a shot  from  my  revolver. 
At  length  we  emerged  from  the  trees  ; and  I flew  a few 
yards  after  the  bear,  when  suddenly  Czar  made  such  a leap 
to  the  right,  that  I must  have  been  thrown,  had  it  not  been 
for  the  heavy  holsters  that  kept  me  on.  I turned  the  horse 
round  again,  and  then  noticed  that  the  bear  had  disappeared 
in  a gap  before  me  ; and,  on  drawing  near,  I found  a canon , 
going  down  a hundred  feet  sheer ; and  about  twenty  feet 
wide  at  this  part.  It  was  a gully  washed  out  by  the  rain, 
which  I had  not  observed,  owing  to  the  tall  grass.  I dis- 
mounted, and  walked  to  the  spot  where  the  bear  had 
disappeared  ; saw  that  the  bushes  had  been  uprooted  about 
thirty  feet  lower  down,  but  could  not  discover  a trace  of  the 
bear.  I owed  it  solely  to  the  agility  of  my  horse,  that  I 
had  not  followed  the  bear  down  the  precipice  ; and  I will- 
ingly resigned  the  delicate  ribs,  which,  in  imagination,  I 
had  seen  roasting  at  my  camp-fire. 

I continued  my  journey  over  the  grassy  plateau.  The 
sun  poured  its  last  vertical  beams  on  the  dry  soil,  which 
was  intersected  by  deep  cracks  a foot  in  breadth.  There 
was  not  a breath  of  air : my  horse  became  very  warm,  and 
looked  in  vain  for  water  in  the  deep,  dry  ditches.  I,  also, 
pined  for  a fresh  draught ; for  the  water  in  my  pouch  had 
become  quite  warm,  and  Czar  could  not  swallow  it  when  I 
poured  some  into  his  mouth.  My  horse-rug  was  so  hot, 
that  I was  hardly  able  to  sit  on  it ; and  the  barrels  of  my 
rifle  almost  blistered  my  hand.  I stopped  several  times  in 
the  shade  of  an  isolated  tree  to  draw  a little  breath  ; but 
this  did  not  advance  my  journey  : and  I could  not  possibly 
spend  the  night  here  without  water.  How  far  I still  had 


A Lonely  Ride. 


59 


to  ride  to  the  next  stream  I did  not  know ; but  I was  aware 
that  I might  travel  for  days  in  these  mountains  without  find- 
ing a spring  or  a stream.  The  sun  was  on  my  left  hand 
when  I reached  the  end  of  this  plateau  ; but,  instead  of  per- 
ceiving the  longed-for  sign  of  water,  a poplar-tree,  I saw 
before  me  almost  impassable  hills  covered  with  loose  stones, 
that  rose  behind  one  another  like  sugar-loaves.  I could 
only  reckon  on  an  hour’s  daylight ; and  it  was  highly  prob- 
able that  I should  have  to  pass  an  unpleasant  night.  So 
far  as  I could  see  northward,  the  hills  were  piled  on  each 
other,  without  offering  a prospect  of  water : hence  I turned 
my  horse  westward,  on  the  chance  of  reaching  the  valley 
which  ran  along  parallel  with  the  plateau.  The  rocks  over 
which  I wearily  climbed  were  red-hot,  and  burnt  my  feet ; 
and,  at  the^same  time,  I suffered  intolerable  thirst.  I had 
shared  the  last  water  in  my  flask  with  Czar.  My  mouth 
was  very  dry  and  my  tongue  clove  to  the  palate.  In  vain  I 
looked  from  every  height  I reached  for  the  longed-for  sign, 
and  wandered  up  hill  and  down,  till  the  sun  sank  behind  the 
distant  blue  mountains,  and  the  first  shadows  of  night 
spread  over  the  land.  I had  passed  over  several  hills  in 
this  manner,  when  I saw  a valley  before  me  in  the  twilight, 
which  I greeted  with  renewed  hopes  ; but  the  darkness  set 
in  so  rapidly,  that  I was  unable  to  continue  my  journey. 
Feeling  quite  knocked  up,  I threw  myself  on  the  warm 
rocks,  holding  Czar  by  the  rein,  to  wait  for  the  rising 
moon. 

I had  rested  about  an  hour  ere  it  grew  light  enough  to 
continue  my  journey ; and  I soon  reached  the  plain,  where, 
unfortunately,  the  grass  grew  very  high.  I was  obliged  to 
mount  my  horse  again,  for  it  was  impossible  to  walk 
through  the  grass  ; and,  though  I was  very  sorry  to  do  it,  I 
urged  the  poor  creature  on,  while  he  continually  strove,  by 


60 


The  Backwoodsman. 


hanging  his  head  and  shaking  his  neck,  to  make  me  under- 
stand it  was  high  time  to  go  to  rest.  I had  continued  my 
journey  for  two  hours  without  stopping,  when  the  grass 
grew  shorter,  my  horse,  every  now  and  then,  stepped  on 
stones,  and  I saw  a tree  or  two  again.  I had  probably 
passed  the  lowest  part  of  the  valley  ; and,  as  I had  found  no 
water  in  it,  there  was  no  prospect  of  doing  so  at  a greater 
elevation.  I was  awfully  tired  and  sleepy ; and  my  horse 
was  quite  as  bad  : I therefore  unsaddled  under  an  elm, 
fastened  Czar  to  the  tree  by  his  long  lasso,  and,  in  ten  min- 
utes, I was  dreaming  of  cool  crystalline  water ; but,  for  all 
that,  woke  at  daybreak  exhausted  and  feverish  ; and,  to  my 
horror,  missed  my  horse. 

I sprang  up,  surveyed  the  wide  plain,  and  who  can  de- 
scribe my  delight  when  I saw  Czar’s  white  coat  shining,  a 
few  hundred  yards  off,  over  a small  mimosa-bush,  behind 
which  he  was  enjoying  the  fresh  grass  in  a hollow?  The 
knot  of  the  lasso  had  come  undone  ; and  thus  Czar  had  been 
able  to  look  about  for  more  agreeable  fodder.  I led  him 
nearer  my  bivouac,  and  was  just  going  to  light  my  fire, 
when  I saw  smoke  rising  in  the  west,  about  three  miles 
from  me.  I quickly  pocketed  my  flint  and  steel,  saddled, 
and  rode  towards  the  highest  part  of  the  ridge,  which  divided 
the  valley  in  half.  When  I had  nearly  reached  the  top,  I 
dismounted,  and  crawled  to  the  highest  point,  whence  I 
surveyed  the  valley,  and  observed  an  Indian  camp,  round 
which  some  three  hundred  horses  and  mules  were  grazing. 
I saw,  through  the  grass,  that  the  various  families  were  sit- 
ting at  the  fires  in  front  of  their  leathern  tents,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  a few  children  that  were  playing  about.  The 
camp  was  on  the  other  side  of  a stream  which  wound 
through  the  valley  from  the  north.  Though  I longed  so  for 
water,  I must  avoid  the  neighborhood  of  these  savages,  who 


A Lonely  Ride. 


61 


» might  prove  very  dangerous  to  me  in  such  an  unknown  and 
desolate  country.  I rode  back  through  the  valley  in  which 
I had  spent  the  night,  and  into  the  mountains  on  its  eastern 
side  ; for,  if  I had  followed  the  valley  to  reach  the  river,  I 
must  have  been  noticed  by  the  Indians,  on  my  white  horse. 
The  road  was  tiring,  as  I was  frequently  obliged  to  walk ; 
and  the  heat  on  these  barren  hills  soon  rendered  my  thirst 
intolerable. 

It  was  a mid-day  when  I,  with  a firm  resolution  to  ride 
to  the  water,  cost  what  it  might,  guided  my  horse  down  a 
ravine,  and  suddenly  saw  before  me  the  fresh  verdure  of 
plants  which  only  grow  at  very  damp  spots,  under  a heap 
of  dry  piled-up  trees,  among  which  a number  of  turkeys 
were  rujming : I forgot  the  Indians  and  the  risk,  shot  two 
old  gobblers,  and  threw  myself  between  the  tall  ferns,  over 
the  cold  springs  that  welled  up  among  them,  in  order  to 
quench  my  fearful  thirst.  I lay  for  nearly  half  an  hour, 
ate  a bit  of  biscuit,  and,  as  I could  not  fully  quench  my 
thirst,  continually  applied  to  the  spring.  This  was  one  of 
the  most  glorious  meals  I ever  enjoyed  ; and  I believe  that 
I would  sooner  have  defended  myself  against  a whole  tribe 
of  Indians  than  leave  this  spot  unsatisfied.  The  shade 
here  was  not  sufficient,  however  ; and  hence,  I went  a 
little  lower  down  the  stream,  with  Czar  and  my  two  tur- 
keys, where  I found  a cooler  resting-place  under  a group 
of  elms  and  oaks.  After  this,  hunger  began  to  be  felt ; for 
with  the  exception  of  a small  slice  of  antelope,  and  a little 
biscuit,  I had  eaten  nothing  since  the  preceding  morning. 
I set  to  work  on  one  of  the  turkeys,  and  spitted  such  a 
quantity  of  the  meat,  fat  and  lean,  that  I was  obliged  to 
laugh  at  myself.  The  exterior  of  the  meat  hardly  began 
to  get  roasted,  ere  I cut  it  away.  In  the  mean  while,  the 
coffee  was  getting  ready,  and  I concluded  my  repast ; after 


62 


The  Backwoodsman. 


which  I found  great  difficulty  in  keeping  my  eyes  open.  I 
fetched  Czar,  who  had  also  enjoyed  himself,  and  fastened 
him  to  a tree  ; took  my  rifle  in  my  arms  ; and,  in  a few 
minutes,  was  fast  asleep,  forgetting  all  the  dangers  that 
surrounded  me. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


THE  JOURNEY  CONTINUED. 

At  about  five  o’clock,  I was  awakened  by  the  sun,  whose 
oblique  beams  were  able  to  reach  me  through  the  trees.  I 
felt  refreshed  and  strong ; made  Czar  get  up,  saddled,  and 
followed^he  stream,  which  led  me  to  the  river  I had  seen 
in  the  morning.  I approached  the  valley  cautiously,  when 
I rode  out  of  the  mountain  gorge,  and  carefully  surveyed  it 
with  my  glass,  without  finding  a trace  of  the  Indians  any- 
where. It  was  very  important  for  me  to  know  whether 
they  had  gone  up  or  down  the  river  (the  latter  was  the 
more  probable),  because  most  of  the  buffalo-herds  I had 
seen  lately  were  going  southward ; and  the  savages,  as  a 
rule,  follow  these  animals.  As  the  banks  of  the  river  were 
not  high,  I rode  into  it,  watered  my  horse,  and,  without 
any  difficulty,  reached  the  other  side  ; when  I was  soon  on 
the  path  of  the  Indians,  who  had  gone  south,  as  I expected. 
I rode  up  this  trail  northwards,  in  order,  if  possible,  to 
reach,  before  sunset,  some  stream  coming  from  the  moun- 
tains, as  I would  not  pass  the  night  where  I was  ; for  it 
appeared  to  be  a pass  greatly  used  by  Indians  : so  that  I 
ran  greater  danger  here  of  meeting  fresh  hordes  than  I did 
among  the  hills.  I rode  very  quickly,  and,  at  sunset, 
turned  into  a narrow  valley  bordered  on  either  side  by  very 
lofty  precipices.  For  about  two  miles,  I followed  the  tor- 
rent, which  wound  through  loose  blocks  of  granite  ; and  fre- 
quently could  scarce  get  through  the  tall  ferns  and  reedy 

63 


64 


The  Backwoodsman. 


plants  which  grew  between  the  wildly  scattered  bowlders. 
The  gorge  gradually  became  narrower,  and  the  granite  walls 
steeper ; and,  in  the  twilight,  I saw  the  end  of  it  no  great 
distance  from  me.  1 

I had  dismounted,  and  was  going  with  Czar  round  a 
block  of  granite,  when  a large  stag  dashed  past  me  from 
the  end  of  the  gorge,  hardly  fifty  yards  off ; and  I distinctly 
saw  another  darker  colored  animal  bounding  after  it,  through 
the  tall  grass.  In  an  instant,  the  flying  stag,  with  its  broad 
antlers  thrown  back,  was  twenty  yards  from  me,  and 
bounded  over  a rock  close  by ; while,  at  the  same  moment, 
a panther  of  enormous  size  covered  the  track  of  the  deer 
with  its  gigantic  paws.  It  had  scarce  touched  the  ground, 
however,  ere  the  bullet  from  my  rifle  crashed  through  its 
shoulder-blade  ; and  the  crack,  echoing  through  the  gorge, 
thundered  in  its  ears.  The  panther  ran  its  head  into  the 
grass,  while  its  hind-quarters  flew  up  in  the  air ; but,  at  the 
next  instant,  it  rose  furiously  in  the  grass,  showing  its  daz- 
zlingly  white  teeth,  and  stretching  out  its  claws  to  leap  on 
me.  I held  my  rifle  firmly  to  my  shoulder ; and,  as  the 
animal  rose,  fired  at  the  white  stripe  under  the  throat. 
The  bullet  passed  through  its  breast ; and,  rising  on  its  hind 
legs,  it  turned  a somersault,  and  died  with  a furious  kick. 
It  was  very  old,  and  had  probably  inhabited  this  tempting 
spot  for  many  years,  to  surprise  the  game  that  came  here 
to  drink  at  the  spring,  and  enjoy  the  fresh,  green  pasturage. 
Eight  feet  long,  from  the  snout  to  the  tail,  the  prince  of  the 
valley  lay  stretched  out  before  me  ; and  round  it  the  bones 
of  its  victims  were  bleaching  in  the  grass.  I went  up  to 
Czar,  who,  probably  recognizing  his  foe,  had  run  some 
hundred  yards  down  the  valley,  and  was  looking  after  me 
with  his  head  up.  I led  him  up  to  the  slain  panther ; but 
it  needed  much  persuasion  ere  he  would  draw  quite  close  to 


+ 


The  Journey  Continued. 


65 


this  arch-foe  of  his  race.  After  making  Czar  stand  by  the 
panther  a while,  — which  I dragged  about,  to  remove  his  nat- 
ural fear  of  the  creature, — I led  him  to  the  end  of  the  ravine, 
where  the  ground  was  covered  with  young,  tender  grass, 
unsaddled  him,  and  laid  my  traps  under  the  evergreen  oaks, 
in  order  to  prepare  my  camp. 

As  the  darkness  had  greatly  increased,  I ran  back  to  the 
panther,  fastened  the  lasso  round  its  neck,  and  dragged  it 
to  my  camping-place,  intending  to  skin  it  in  the  morning. 
I lit  the  ffre,  prepared  supper,  and  lay  down  on  my  horse- 
rug  ; every  now  and  then  turning  the  spit,  or  piling  up  the 
sticks  round  the  coffee-pot. 

The  night  passed  without  the  slightest  disturbance  ; and, 
at  dawn,  I skinned  my  panther,  which  had  a great  number 
of  scars  ; principally  arrow  and  lance  wounds,  as  it  seemed. 
After  cleaning  the  skin  from  all  fleshy  particles,  I spread  it 
out  to  dry  at  the  fire,  while  I bathed,  and  swallowed  my 
breakfast.  I sought  all  round  the  bivouac  for  weapons  or 
other  articles  belonging  to  the  dead  man,  but  found  none ; 
and,  as  the  sun  was  already  high,  I set  out  on  my  wander- 
ings again. 

Just  as  I reached  the  entrance  of  the  gorge,  I saw  a herd 
of  seven  buffalo-bulls  grazing.  In  a second,  I leaped  off 
Czar,  and  ran  from  stone  to  stone,  till  I got  within  ten  yards 
of  the  shaggy  monsters,  from  which  I was  only  separated 
by  a rock.  I crept  under  this  on  the  ground,  till  I had 
the  buffaloes  before  me : the  nearest  one  stood  motionless, 
with  its  broad,  hairy  forehead  turned  towards  me  ; and 
I aimed  at  the  centre  of  it,  although  I had  often  tried  in 
vain  to  kill  a buffalo  by  a shot  through  the  head.  This 
time,  however,  the  bullet  did  its  work  ; and  the  other  bulls 
fled  round  the  rock  towards  the  valley.  As  the  fat  buffalo 
would  supply  me  with  food  for  several  days,  I fetched  my 
5 


66 


Tlie  Backwoodsman. 


horse,  took  the  axe  hanging  from  the  saddle,  and  set  to 
work  cutting  out  the  sirloin  ; while  Czar  grazed  by  my 
side,  and  now  and  then  licked  up  the  blood.  I removed  a 
piece  of  the  hide  from  the  hump,  in  order  to  secure  a part 
of  the  streaky  meat ; cut  out  the  tongue  between  the  jaws, 
as  I could  not  think  of  opening  the  mouth ; took  two  mar- 
row-bones, and  left  the  remaining  fourteen  hundred  pounds 
of  meat  for  the  wolves  and  buzzards.  All  these  dainties 
were  hung  about  my  saddle  : for  the  hotter  the  sun  shines 
on  them,  the  less  does  the  meat  putrefy.  With  a parting 
glance  at  the  ravine,  I again  struck  the  Indian  trail,  which 
I followed  northwards  up  the  river. 

At  two  p.m.,  I crossed  the  river,  as  it  trended  to  the 
west,  and  followed  a beautiful  valley  for  some  hours,  to 
the  north-east,  where  I did  not  notice  a single  trace  of 
horses  or  Indians  ; while  the  path  I had  hitherto  been  fol- 
lowing seemed  to  be  exclusively  made  by  nomadic  savages. 

At  about  six  in  the  morning,  I reached  a spot  where  two 
streams  joined  ; and  I could  not  make  sure  of  water  farther 
up  the  valley.  Hence  I followed  the  eastern  arm,  and 
reached,  at  sunset,  the  hills  bordering  the  valley,  between 
which  I bivouacked,  as  I had  every  thing  I required.  For 
several  days  I continued  to  follow  a northern  course.  The 
character  of  the  soil  varied  as  before  ; the  mountains  had 
the  same  shape,  were  bare  at  top,  and  covered  with  loose 
stones,  between  which  a few  low  cactuses,  aloes,  and  torch- 
weeds  grew.  I also  rode  over  a good  deal  of  table-land, 
but  got  away  from  it  as  soon  as  I could  ; for,  through  the 
entire  want  of  water,  the  ground  here  grows  very  hot,  and 
you  are  thoroughly  roasted. 

I found  the  grass  on  the  prairie  not  very  high,  which 
made  it  easier  going  for  my  horse,  but  more  difficult  for 
me  to  approach  the  game,  which  appeared  remarkably  shy 


The  Journey  Continued. 


67 


and  restless.  My  stock  of  meat  was  exhausted  ; and  I ate 
my  biscuit  and  salt  tongue  as  rarely  as  possible,  so  as  to 
have  food  by  me  in  case  of  need.  I dared  not  ride  down 
the  buffalo,  as  my  white  horse  could  be  easily  distinguished 
from  the  uplands  ; and  I must  spare  his  strength.  Nor  did 
I care  to  go  far  from  Czar  afoot,  as  a single  foot  Indian 
might  easily  be  hidden  in  the  grass,  and  reach  him  more 
quickly  than  I could.  Hence  I deferred  my  chase  till  I 
reached  the  woods  that  rose  ahead  of  me. 

I rode  over  the  rolling  prairie,  till,  on  emerging  from  a 
hollow,  I saw  three  very  plump  old  deer  grazing  not  far 
from  me,  behind  a few  low  mosquito-bushes.  I sprang  off 
Czar,  hobbled  him,  and  crawled  on  my  stomach  through  the 
grass  towards  the  deer,  dragging  my  rifle  after  me.  Al- 
though I had  got  within  shot,  I wished  to  advance  a few 
more  yards  in  order  to  reach  a hollow  where  I should  be 
able  to  kneel  and  fire.  On  reaching  it,  I pulled  my  rifle 
after  me,  and  was  just  about  to  fire,  when  a monstrous  rat- 
tlesnake glided  away  from  under  my  hand.  I sprang  up 
in  terror,  watched  it  darting  through  the  grass  with  head 
erect,  and  away  fled  my  deer  over  the  prairie  ; and  I had 
had  all  my  trouble  for  nothing. 

I was  very  much  annoyed,  sent  some  strong  language 
after  the  snake,  and  returned  to  my  horse,  who  had  been 
taking  advantage  of  his  rest  in  the  long  grass.  I took  off 
his  hobble,  and  rode  towards  the  forest,  which  seemed  invit- 
ing me  to  enter  its  friendly  shade.  It  was  mid-day  when  I 
reached  the  wood,  thirsting  for  a fresh  drink.  I hung  my 
hat  on  the  saddle,  and  greedily  inhaled  the  cool  breeze  that 
blew  through  the  majestic  trees,  and  then  followed  on  foot  a 
buffalo-path,  which  wound  between  the  bushes.  It  led  me 
to  a clear  stream,  which  poured  over  loose  masses  of  stone, 
between  rather  high  banks.  I let  Czar  glide  down,  for  the 


68 


The  Backwoodsman. 


path  was  very  steep ; watered  him,  and  made  him  leap  up 
the  other  bank  ; then  I filled  my  gourd,  and  quenched  my 
thirst  with  the  cold  water. 

I was  just  going  to  remount,  when  I heard  the  sound  of 
a herd  of  peccaries,  or  Mexican  swine,  coming  towards  me, 
probably  in  search  of  water.  As  the  undergrowth  was  not 
very  dense  on  the  side  of  the  stream,  I was  able  to  see  them 
coming  for  some  distance.  There  were  about  twenty  old 
pigs  with  a lot  of  sucklings : they  ran  very  slowly,  and  I 
had  time  to  pick  out  a fat  boar.  I shot  it,  sprang  on  my 
horse  at  once,  and,  as  I expected,  found  the  whole 
herd  dash  furiously  after  me.  I had  room  before  me,  and 
dashed  through  them  into  the  forest.  They  did  not  follow 
me  ; and  I granted  them  time  to  bid  adieu  to  their  fallen 
comrade,  while  I led  Czar  into  the  wild  oats  which  grew 
luxuriantly  here.  In  a quarter  of  an  hour,  I rode  back  to 
my  game.  The  herd  had  retired  ; and  I at  once  cut  away 
the  musk-gland  which  the  boar  had  on  its  back,  of  the  size 
of  an  egg ; for,  if  I had  allowed  it  to  grow  cold,  it  would 
have  been  impossible  to  eat  the  meat,  owing  to  the  power- 
ful musky  taste. 

I rode  for  about  two  miles  along  the  skirt  of  the  next 
forest  I came  to  without  finding  a buffalo-path  ; and  yet 
the  forest  was  so  densely  overgrown  with  thorns  and  bram- 
bles, that  I could  not  enter  it  without  a path.  At  length  I 
found  one,  which  had  been  probably  trodden  for  centuries 
by  millions  of  buffaloes.  I followed  it  into  the  wood,  and 
soon  reached  a small  river,  whose  steep  banks  were  about 
eight  feet  high.  Here  I refreshed  my  horse  and  myself, 
and  followed  the  path  on  the  opposite  side,  where  the  forest 
grew  clearer ; and  I soon  caught  a glimpse  of  the  prairie. 
The  bushes  and  a few  isolated  trees  ran  for  some  distance 
out  into  the  prairie.  I dismounted,  and  led  my  horse  to  the 


The  Journey  Continued . 


69 


last  bushes,  in  order  to  survey  the  plain  ere  I intrusted  my- 
self to  it,  and  because  I was  undecided  whether  I would 
not  bivouac  here.  I had  advanced  to  the  furthermost 
bushes,  which  were  brightly  illumined  by  the  western  sun  ; 
and  I found  the  prairie  was  populated  by  a few  deer  and 
buffaloes,  whose  evident  watchfulness  and  restlessness  I 
could  not  ascribe  to  my  appearance.  I looked  down  the 
wood  to  the  rocks,  and,  to  my  terror,  saw  close  under  them, 
on  the  prairie,  a war-party  of  about  a hundred  and  fifty  In- 
dians, who  were  riding  towards  the  forest,  one  behind  the 
other.  I sprang  in  front  of  my  horse,  in  order  to  cover  its 
bright  chest,  and  hurriedly  raised  my  telescope.  They 
were  Lepans.  I knew  them  by  their  plumed  lances,  gayly- 
decorated  shields,  and  fine  horses  ; for  these  Indians  are  the 
best-mounted  and  most  warlike  on  the  Western  steppes.  I 
stood  as  if  petrified,  for  fear  lest  they  might  see  a move- 
ment on  my  part,  while  I held  Czar  by  the  rein.  They  had 
not  yet  seen  me  ; for  they  rode  past,  and  drew  close  to  the 
wood  : a few  yards  farther  and  they  would  have  been  out 
of  sight,  and  the  danger  momentarily  passed.  Suddenly, 
however,  the  whole  party  halted,  and  pointed  towards  me. 
I had  been  seen  ; there  could  be  no  doiibt  of  the  fact : for  I 
noticed  through  my,  glass  that  they  were  holding  their 
hands  over  their  eyes,  to  have  a better  look  at  me.  There 
was  not  a mile  between  us  ; my  horse  had  been  travelling 
all  day.  The  wood  was  very  narrow,  and  the  path  leading 
through  it  very  broad.  I was  aware  of  the  courage  of 
these  Lepans,  and  saw  no  salvation  save  in  the  endurance  of 
my  horse.  With  one  leap  I was  on  his  back,  threw  away 
the  flesh,  and  darted  into  the  wood,  with  the  whole  band  of 
savages  after  me  like  a whirlwind.  The  river  made  a 
number  of  bends,  which  I was  compelled  to  follow.  The 
Indians’  horses  were  extremely  swift : this  was  the  first 


70 


The  Backwoodsman . 


time  I had  ever  known  any  horses  to  keep  up  with  mine. 
But  I had  not  yet  called  on  Czar : I now  drove  the  spurs 
into  him,  and  let  go  the  reins.  I flew  round  the  next  corner, 
and  then  round  the  next,  ere  the  Indians  reached  the  first, 
which  was  a good  mile  behind.  At  this  moment,  I saw  that 
the  river-bank  was  covered  for  the  next  half-mile  with  loose 
pebbles.  I turned  Czar  round,  and  leapt  him  down  the 
eight-foot  bank  into  the  river,  whose  bottom,  composed  of 
soft  sand  and  shallow  water,  he  reached  without  injury.  I 
then  galloped  up  the  stream  in  the  direction  I had  just 
come,  covered  by  the  tall  bank,  and  the  wood  between  it 
and  the  prairie,  calculating  that  the  Indians  would  not  miss 
my  track  among  the  loose  stones,  but  would  gallop  through 
them  to  the  next  angle  of  the  wood,  which  would  give  me 
a grand  start.  I remained  at  a gallop  for  about  a hundred 
yards,  so  that  the  water  met  over  my  head,  until  I reached 
a deeper  spot,  where  Czar  was  obliged  to  swim  for  a short 
distance.  At  this  moment,  I heard  the  savage  horde  dash 
past,  and  the  war-yell  of  these  unchained  demons  echoing 
through  the  forest ! Probably  the  short  extent  of  deep 
water  saved  me,  for,  at  this  spot,  only  a few  thin  bushes 
grew  on  the  bank  ; and,  though  the  savages  were  some  dis- 
tance off,  they  would  infallibly  have  noticed  the  water  being 
dashed  up  by  Czar.  I again  reached  a firm  bottom,  and 
followed  the  stream  as  quickly  as  I could ; while  the  yells 
of  the  Indians  were  audible  a long  way  behind  me. 

I was  beginning  to  feel  more  secure,  when  my  progress 
was  impeded  by  large  masses  of  rock,  between  which  the 
shallow  water  rippled.  I leapt  on  one  of  these  blocks,  and 
gave  Czar  a gentle  pull  to  follow  me  : he  sprang  up,  clam- 
bered across,  and  reached,  without  injury,  a good  sandy  bot- 
tom on  the  other  side.  I hurried  down  the  stream  — partly 
swimming,  partly  climbing  — till  I saw  the  lofty  rocks  on 


The  Journey  Continued. 


71 


my  right  through  the  forest,  and  hence  knew  that  I was  be- 
low the  spot  where  the  Lepans  had  halted  when  they  first 
sighted  me.  I still  followed  the  stream,  although  the  water 
came  up  to  my  horse’s  girths ; but  it  suddenly  made  a 
curve,  and  ran  close  past  the  rocks,  at  a spot  where  they 
opened  like  a narrow  gateway,  leaving  a passage  for  a riv- 
ulet that  flowed  from  the  interior.  The  entrance  through 
the  granite  walls  was  not  more  than  thirty  feet  wide,  and 
the  gorge  about  a hundred  feet  deep,  beyond  which  was 
a beautiful  tittle  valley  enclosed  by  the  rocks,  about  a mile 
in  length,  through  which  the  stream  rippled. 

I rode  up  the  rivulet ; on  both  sides  of  which  the  most 
exquisite  flowers  grew.  Sitting  down  on  a rock  at  the  en- 
trance, I listened,  but  did  not  hear  a sound  of  my  pursuers. 
That  the  Lepans  had  overriden  my  trail  was  certain  : but  it 
was  equally  certain  that  they  would  ride  back,  when  they 
noticed  their  error,  and  find  my  track ; for  my  horse,  in 
leaping  into  the  stream,  had  left  distinct  marks  on  the 
bank,  and  its  track  might  also  be  followed  in  the  sandy  bed. 

While  I was  thus  weighing  my  situation,  I inspected  my 
fire-arms,  which  had  got  slightly  wet,  put  on  fresh  caps, 
and  was  taking  a look  at  my  water-tight  powder-flask,  when 
a yell  echoed  through  the  wood  from  the  east.  I knew  its 
meaning  perfectly  well : the  Lepans  had  found  my  trail,  and 
were  assembling  fora  consultation.  At  this  sound,  all  pros- 
pect of  an  amicable  arrangement  departed  ; and  I was  deter- 
mined, in  the  event  of  an  attack,  on  defending  myself  here, 
as,  in  case  of  need,  I could  always  escape  down  the  stream. 

All  became  silent  again  ; evening  spread  her  veil  over 
the  earth  ; the  silver  herons  and  flamingoes  uttered  their 
hoarse  cry  as  they  flew  homewards  ; and  the  owl  announced 
the  setting-in  of  night.  The  outlines  of  the  trees  and  rocks 
continually  grew  more  indistinct ; and  it  was  time  to  fetch 


72 


The  Backwoodsman. 


up  Czar,  who  was  nibbling  the  tender  grass  along  the 
stream. 

Suddenly  a loud,  long,  lasting  yell  was  raised,  which, 
however,  seemed  much  farther  off,  and  to  come  from  the 
prairie  on  the  south  side  of  the  forest.  Probably,  the  Lc- 
pans  had  found  my  trail  through  the  prairie  ; but  it  was  a 
satisfactory  sign  to  me  that  they  had  not  attempted  to  follow 
me  along  the  river-bed.  In  all  other  directions,  my  hiding- 
place  was  unassailable,  unless  there  was  a second  entrance 
into  the  valley  in  my  rear,  as  was  probable.  It  had  already 
grown  so  dark,  that  I could  not  distinguish  my  white  horse 
from  the  rocks,  although  the  stars  shone  brilliantly  above 
me.  Before  it  was  quite  dark,  I sat  down  by  the  side  of 
Czar,  to  prevent  him  lying  down.  I grew  very  sleepy  ; but 
the  yell  of  the  Indians  still  sounded  too  loudly  in  my  ears 
for  me  to  indulge  in  repose.  I tried  to  keep  awake  by 
smoking,  which  helped  for  a while  ; but  smoking  in  perfect 
darkness  is  no  enjoyment : hence  I soon  grew  tired  of  it, 
and  tried  to  keep  awake  by  walking  up  and  down.  Czar, 
too,  was  tired  of  standing : he  stamped  impatiently  with 
his  fore-feet,  and  tried  the  strength  of  the  lasso  by  tugging 
at  it.  At  length,  nature  claimed  her  dues  ; and  I could  not 
possibly  keep  awake  any  longer : I took  off  Czar’s  load, 
laid  it  in  the  darkness  against  the  stone  to  which  he  was 
secured,  spread  out  my  rug,  and  lay  down  on  it  with  my  rifle 
on  my  arm.  Czar  was  not  long  in  following  my  example, 
and  tried,  as  usual,  to  have  a roll  before  going  to  sleep, 
which  might  have  injured  me  or  the  saddle  in  the  darknesg  : 
hence  I pressed  his  head  to  the  ground  ; and  we  were  both, 
ere  long,  as  soundly  asleep  as  the  rocks  around  us. 

Day  was  scarce  breaking  when  I started  up  and  looked 
around  me.  Czar  lay  motionless ; and  I did  not  disturb 
him.  I went  out  of  the  gorge,  and  brought  in  some  dry 


The  Journey  Continued. 


73 


wood,  lit  a fire,  and  made  coffee,  being  obliged  to  breakfast 
on  my  biscuits  and  salt  tongue ; for  the  dainty  lumps  of 
pork  I had  cut  yesterday  had  probably  served  a wolf  for 
supper.  While  I was  breakfasting,  my  faithful  steed  raised 
his  head,  and  rested  it  on  my  knee,  that  I might  remove 
the  bridle  which  I had  left  on  during  the  night.  I did  so  ; 
hobbled  him  out  in  the  grass,  and  then  sat  down  again  at 
my  small  fire,  where  I could  see  along  the  river  and  up 
the  valley  behind  me,  whose  steep  granite  walls  were  just 
beginning  to  be  illumined  by  the  rising  sun.  I was  very 
curious  to  learn  whether  there  was  another  entrance  besides 
the  one  I commanded  ; for,  if  not,  it  was  very  possible  that 
my  hiding-place  was  unknown  to  the  Indians,  as  the  steep 
hills  around  did  not  reveal  that  they  concealed  such  a fairy- 
like kingdom  in  their  interior. 

It  was  about  nine  o’clock,  when,  after  washing  and  sad- 
dling Czar,  I rode  off  to  examine  the  secrets  of  the  wonderful 
valley.  I looked  around  at  the  lofty  walls  of  granite,  but 
could  not  notice  any  other  connection  with  the  external 
world  but  the  one  through  which  I had  come.  The  valley, 
about  a mile  in  diameter,  was  covered  with  a most  luxuri- 
ant crop  of  vyoung  grass,  and  a number  of  clumps  of  trees 
and  bushes,  through  which  the  rivulet  wound.  It  struck 
me  as  curious  that  I saw  no  game  on  such  rich  pasturage  ; 
for,  excepting  a flock  of  turkeys,  I had  put  up  nothing, 
although  I had  reached  the  centre.  The  turkeys  were  very 
shy,  and  ran  off  vrhen  I dismounted  to  shoot  one  ; but,  just 
as  I was  going  to  mount  again,  an  old  cock  came  running 
up  ; and  my  bullet  put  a speedy  end  to  his  existence.  The 
report  had  hardly  begun  to  echo  through  the  rocks,  ere  a 
swarm  of  aquatic  birds  of  all  sizes  rose  right  in  front  of  me, 
like  flies  in  the  sunshine  ; but  as  I remained  quietly  seated 
on  the  grass,  reloading  my  rifle,  they  soon  settled  down 


74 


The  Backwoodsman. 


again.  I walked  through  the  bushes,  and  noticed  a large 
pond  with  flat  banks  covered  with  all  sorts  of  gayly  plum- 
aged  birds,  among  which  herons  and  flamingoes  occupied  a 
prominent  place.  The  banks  were  literally  covered  with 
these  birds,  — some  of  which  were  standing  sentry  on  one 
leg,  while  others  were  up  to  their  knees  in  the  water,  and 
engaged  in  catching  frogs.  When  I stepped  out  of  the 
bushes,  all  the  birds  rose  again : a portion  seated  them- 
selves, with  loud  croaks,  on  the  nearest  trees,  while  the  rest 
rose  in  the  air,  and  proceeded  in  various  directions  to  less 
disturbed  regions.  It  now  appeared  as  if  all  the  inhabitants 
of  the  valley  had  left  it ; and  I was  not  sorry  at  having 
secured  a good  meal,  for  my  stomach  was  beginning  to  com- 
plain about  neglect.  I hung  the  turkey  on  my  saddle,  and 
rode  to  the  pond,  whose  banks  were  so  trampled  by  the 
birds  that  not  a single  blade  of  grass  grew  on  them  ; but  I 
noticed  a great  number  of  jaguar-tracks,  some  old,  others 
quite  recent.  The  animals  to  which  these  tracks  belonged 
must  consequently  live  in  the  valley,  as  they  could  not  climb 
over  the  rocks,  and  had  not  passed  my  night-quarters.  It 
was  now  clear  to  me  why  this  splendid  pasture  was  so  de- 
serted, and  only  visited  by  birds  ; while  hundreds  of  buffa- 
loes and  deer  would  have  found  abundant  food.  I rode 
nearly  round  the  valley,  with  a revolver  in  my  hand,  as  I 
expected  at  any  moment  to  meet  the  landlord  ; but  I did 
not  see  him ; and  not  a living  creature  remained  in  the 
valley  but  the  few  turkeys  which  had  probably  strayed 
thither.  I rode  back  to  my  bivouac,  as  it  was  mid-day,  and 
both  myself  and  Czar  felt  hungry,  and  prepared  a part  of 
the  turkey  for  dinner,  while  Czar  had  a hearty  feed  of 
grass.  When  we  had  finished  our  meal,  I tied  him  up 
close  to  me  under  the  overhanging  rocks,  where  the  sun  did 
not  fall  on  us.  I threw  wood  on  the  fire,  and  lay  down  to 


The  Journey  Continued. 


75 


sleep,  to  make  up  for  the  last  night’s  lost  rest.  The  sun 
was  hardly  illumining  the  tops  of  the  eastern  mountains  of 
the  valley  when  I awoke  invigorated,  and  led  my  horse  out 
into  the  grass  again. 


\ 


i 


f 


CHAPTER  IX. 


HOMEWARD  BOUND. 

I 

I had  already  made  up  my  mind  to  spend  the  night 
here  ; so  I got  about  my  supper  at  an  early  hour,  and  soon 
carried  a good  stock  of  wood  to  .my  camp,  with  which  to 
keep  up  my  fire  during  the  night.  I slept  undisturbed  till 
daybreak,  took  a refreshing  bath  in  the  cold  stream  while 
my  breakfasjt  was  getting  ready,  then  rode  Czar  into  a 
deep  spot,  washed  him  thoroughly,  and  was  soon  ready  to 
leave  this  mysterious  but  so  pleasant  spot,  with  the  resolu- 
tion to  visit  it  again,  sooner  or  later.  . 

My  road  led  into  the  river  again,  on  whose  rippled  sur- 
face the  night-mist  rolled  along  with  the  current.  But,  on 
further  reflection,  I saw  how  many  obstacles  now  stood  in 
my  way.  The  current  was  very  powerful ; and  the  waves 
broke  against  my  horse’s  strong  chest ; the  bottom,  covered 
with  loose  bowlders,  rendered  its  footsteps  unsteady,  and 
constantly  put  it  in  danger  of  falling.  At  length  I reached 
the  bed  of  rocks,  which  blocked  the  entire  breadth  of  the 
river,  over  which  Czar  had  clambered  with  such  agility : it 
now  seemed  to  me  purely  impossible  that  a horse  could 
achieve  such  a feat,  although  the  marks  of  his  shoes  proved 
to  me  the  contrary.  I would  not  venture,  however,  to 
make  my  horse  leap  it  again ; but  took  my  axe  out  of  its 
sheath,  entered  the  water,  which  was  shallow  here,  and  cut 
away  the  creepers  and  bushes  hanging  over  the  bank  ; and 
thus  formed  a much  better  path  beneath  them  over  a very 
76 


Homeward  Bound. 


77 


few  large  but  flat  stones.  I led  Czar  across,  and  then 
slowly  walked  on,  constantly  thrusting  on  one  side  the  vines 
hanging  with  a length  of  fifty  feet  over  the  water,  in  order 
to  force  myself  through  them. 

After  great  exertions,  I at  length  reached  the  buffalo- 
path  by  which  I had  crossed  the  river  on  the  previous  day 
but  one ; and  followed  it  again  to  the  skirt  of  the  wood : 
but  this  time  with  greater  caution.  I left  Czar  behind  in 
the  thick  bushes,  and  crept  out  alone  to  the  edge  of  the 
prairie,  and  examined  the  latter  carefully  with  my  glass. 
The  grassy  expanse  before  me,  far  as  I could  see,  was  cov- 
ered with  countless  buffaloes  and  numerous  deer,  which 
were  grazing' quietly  and  carelessly  ; and  I recognized,  at  a 
great  distance,  a large  troop  of  wild  horses,  which  must 
consist  of  several  hundred.  These  were  the  surest  signs 
that  no  Indian  had  shown  himself,  On  this  day,  upon  the 
plain  : so  I returned  to  my  horse,  and  pursued  my  journey 
northward  through  this  prairie. 

In  about  an  hour,  I drew  near  the  horses,  which  were 
giving  vent  to  their  playfulness  by  rearing,  kicking,  and 
galloping  about.  I rode  along  a hollow  under  the  hill,  in 
order  to  get  as  near  them  as  I could  ; in  which  I perfectly 
succeeded,  as  the  wind  was  favorable.  I rode  to  within  a 
short  distance  of  them,  under  the  hill  on  which  they  were 
standing,  when  Czar  scented  them,  suddenly  raised  his 
head,  and  expressed  his  delight  at  the  friendly  meeting  by 
a loud  snort.  In  an  instant,  the  troop  dashed  up  to  greet 
the  stranger.  It  was  led  by  a coal-black,  very  powerful 
stallion,  whose  mane,  some  five  feet  in  length,  flew  wildly 
round  his  broad  neck.  The  thunder  of  their  hoofs  rolled 
along  like  a tempest  towards  me,  till  we  faced  each  other 
at  a distance  of  about  twenty  paces.  The  black  stallion  fell 
as  if  struck  by  lightning  ; and  the  nearest  horses  fell  upon 


78 


The  Backwoodsman . 


i 


him  in  the  wildest  confusion,  "while  Czar  gave  them  to  un- 
derstand by  a friendly  whinny  that  there  was  really  no 
reason  for  such  fear.  It  was  a wondrously  beautiful  sight, 
when  these  noble,  powerful  animals  rose  again,  and  flew 
over  the  grassy  sea,  like  smoke  before  the  blast ; the  black, 
with  wildly  flying  mane,  flashing  eyes,  and  scarlet  nostrils, 
at  their  head.  I looked  after  them  for  a long  time,  and  re- 
gretted that  I could  not  risk  leading  a captured  horse  home, 
as  I could  have  easily  thrown  my  lasso  over  the  stallion. 

Czar  was  beside  himself  that  he  wns  not  allowed  to  join 
in  the  race,  and  tried,  for  a long  time,  to  check  the  speed 
of  the  fugitives  by  his  snorts  : he  danced  ; threw  his  croup 
from  one  side  to  the  other,  and  furiously  tore  at  the  bit ; 
but  it  was  all  of  no  use,  and  serfdom  still  lay  on  his  broad 
neck,  even  though  with  rosy  bonds. 

The  sun  was  rather  low  on  the  horizon,  when  I found 
myself  about  five  miles  from  what  seemed  to  be  a very 
large  forest,  behind  which  rose  the  mountains  which  I had 
noticed  a few  days  previously  in  the  azure  distance  when  I 
took  my  first  glance  at  this  valley.  I leapt  from  my  horse, 
hobbled  it,  and  crawled  through  the  grass  after  two  very 
old  stags,  — one  of  wrhich  wras  quietly  grazing  behind  a fallen 
mosquito-tree,  while  the  other,  as  if  it  had  noticed  some- 
thing, thrust  its  thick  neck  over  the  stump  in  my  direction. 
I had  left  my  hat  with  Czar,  in  order  to  attract  less  atten- 
tion, and  the  sun  shone  hotly  on  my  head  ; but  what  will 
not  a hunter  readily  endure  if  it  enabled  him  to  draw  nearer 
the  game?  At  length,  there  w’ere  about  one  hundred  yardn 
between  us  ; and  I had  reached  a small  patch  of  flowering 
jalap-trees,  which  covered  me.  I raised  myself  on  one 
arm,  and  fired,  aiming  at  the  head.  I saw  that  the  deer 
was  hit  close  to  the  heart : it  ran  about  fifty  paces  with  its 
comrade,  and  then  fell  dead. 


Homeward  Bound . 


79 


After  reloading,  I rode  up  to  the  deer,  and  laid  in  some  days* 
supply  of  meat,  hung  it  on  the  saddle,  and  continued  my 
journey  to  the  forest,  which  I entered,  about  sunset,  by  a very 
broad  open  buffalo-path.  I was  sure  that  the  forest  was  trav- 
ersed by  a stream,  and  resolved  to  seek  the  latter  ere  I se- 
lected my  night-quarters.  I followed  the  path  with  my  rifle 
on  the  saddle-bow,  when  suddenly  my  horse  gave  a start ; 
and  a very  old  bear  entered  the  path  hardly  twenty  yards 
ahead  of  me,  stopped,  and,  with  its  head  turned  from  me, 
began  nibbling  at  the  roots  of  a few  small  bushes.  It  took 
scarce  a moment  to  raise  my  rifle  and  pull  the  trigger ; and 
in  the  next  I pulled  Czar  round,  and  rode  for  the  prairie. 
On  looking  round,  however,  I perceived  that  the  bear  had 
only  sprung  a few  yards  after  me,  and  was  now  half  sitting, 
half  lying  on  the  path,  and  showing  its  savage  teeth.  When 
I slowly  approached  it,  I noticed  that  its  fury  Was  height- 
ened with  every  step  I took  ; and  only  its  inability  to  rise 
prevented  it  from  attacking  me.  I therefore  rode  close 
up,  and  sent  a second  bullet  through  its  head.  It  was  a 
very  heavy  fat  bear ; and  I was  really  sorry  that  I could 
turn  it  to  so  little  account. 

Not  very  far  from  this  spot  I found  the  stream,  and  re- 
solved to  pass  the  night  on  its  bank,  as  the  forest  on  the 
other  side  seemed  very  extensive,  and  it  was  doubtful 
whether  I should  find  there  good  provender  for  my  horse. 
I watered  Czar,  filled  my  bottle,  and  rode  back  to  the  bear, 
from  which  I cut  a paw,  the  tongue,  and  some  ribs.  I then 
camped  in  the  forest  at  a spot  where  the  most  splendid  wild 
oats  awaited  my  horse.  The  paw  was  put  to  cook  in  the 
ashes  for  the  next  morning ; but  the  ribs  were  to  make  their 
appearance  on  the  supper-table. 

The  night  was  dark,  and  rendered  the  light  which  my  fire 
cast  upon  the  dark-green  roof  above  my  head  all  the  more 


r 


80  The  Backwoodsman. 

attractive,  while  the  giant  brightly  illumined  trunks  looked 
like  pillars  supporting  it.  I lay  on  my  tiger-skin,  and 
amused  myself  with  counting  the  blood-red  funnel-shaped 
flowers  of  the  bignonia,  which  swung  in  long,  drooping  fes- 
toons from  one  tree  to  the  other,  and,  lit  up  by  my  fire, 
resembled  so  many  red-glass  lamps.  My  eyes  gradually 
closed,  the  pictures  of  dreams  became  more  and  more 
blended  with  those  of  reality,  until  a calm  sleep  fell  on  me 
to  strengthen  and  refresh  me. 

Day  w as  breaking  w hen  I opened  my  eyes ; and  the  scene 
which  had  so  sweetly  lulled  me  to  sleep  had  faded  away. 
The  fire  was  out ; and,  instead  of  the  glow-worms,  a gray 
mist  lay  over  the  bushes,  the  grass  around  me  was  very  damp, 
and  the  bear’s  black  hide  was  silvered  over  with  dew. 
From  all  sides  the  loud  chuckling  of  the  turkeys  reached 
me,  and  I felt  a tickling  in  my  forefinger  to  bend  it  upon  one 
of  these  birds  ; but  then  I looked  at  the  mountain  of  flesh 
which  lay  before  me,  and  rested  my  rifle  a£ain  against  the 
tree,  and  went  to  the  fire  to  pull  the  paw  out  of  the  ashes. 
The  fire  soon  burnt  brightly,  and  dispersed  the  cold,  damp 
air  around  me : I put  coffee  on,  and  a bear’s  rib  before  the 
fire,  led  Czar  to  the  stream,  and  refreshed  myself  and  him. 
Then  I returned  to  the  fire,  led  my  horse  into  the  oats,  and 
paid  my  respects  to  the  bear’s  paw  and  rib.  The  sun  was 
also  darting  his  rays  through  the  trees,  when  I was  ready 
to  start,  and  rode  through  the  stream  towards  the  dense 
forest. 

I rode  for  about  three  hours  in  this  labyrinth,  passing 
from  one  buffalo-path  to  another,  until  the  ground  began  to 
grow  more  uneven,  and  here  and  there  large  masses  of  rock 
rose  between  the  trees.  I dismounted,  and  was  leading  my 
horse  up  a narrow  path  by  the  side  of  a great  bowlder, 
when  I suddenly  saw,  on  raising  my  head,  the  entire  forest 


Homeward  Bound. 


81 


literally  covered  with  wild  cattle.  I returned  to  the*  rock, 
as  a meeting  with  these  most  dangerous  animals  on  an  im- 
practicable path  like  this  was  not  desirable,  and,  hanging 
the  bridle  over  a branch,  I again  ascended  the  height  in 
order  to  convince  myself  in  what  direction  the  cattle  were 
going.  The  herd  passed  me,  bound  westward ; and  I am 
certain  I saw  over  three  hundred  head  pass. 

From  this  point  gradually  rose  a bald,  desolate  mountain- 
range  that  ran  from  east  to  west,  and  whose  base  was  cov- 
ered with  bad  grass  and  a few  scattered  granite  rocks.  I 
might  calculate  on  wandering  about  there  for  weeks  before 
again  reaching  watered  valleys.  Hence  I resolved  to  alter 
my  course  and  go  farther  east,  until  I reached  the  moun- 
tains which  were  the  source  of  all  the  streams  I had  lately 
crossed,  and  return'home  along  their  base. 

It  was  already  noon  ; and  I was  still  on  the  outside  of  the 
forest,  when  I noticed  a tolerably  beaten  path  in  an  angle 
where  the  forest  jutted  out  farther  into  the  mountains.  I 
was  very  glad  of  it.  I threw  my  leathern  jacket  over  the 
saddle,  hung  my  hat  by  its  side,  and  followed  the  path 
which  ran  between  the  rocks  that  rose  among  the  trees  and 
led  deeper  into  the  forest. 

Suddenly  a sound  reached  my  ear  resembling  the  fall*of 
distant  water ; and  the  nearer  I drew,  the  more  distinct  it 
became.  It  was  possible  that  the  river  here  took  a wide 
curve  to  the  foot  of  the  mountains ; and  I greeted  it  with 
delight.  I soon  saw  that  I was  not  mistaken  ; for,  on  turn- 
ing a large  rock,  I stood  close  in  front  of  a waterfall,  which 
aroused  my  admiration  both  through  the  peculiarity  of  its 
shape  and  the  refreshing  coolness  that  it  spread  far  and 
wide  beneath  the  shady  trees.  A powerful  mountain  tor- 
rent, about  thirty  yards  wide,  fell  over  an  immense  rock 
twenty  feet  high,  down  upon  another  rock,  which  had  been 
- 6 


82 


The  Backwoodsman. 


hollowed  to  a depth  of  about  three  feet  by  the  water  which 
had  fallen  on  it  for  centuries,  and  formed  a basin,  over 
whose  front  the  agitated  foamidg  stream  dashed  at  a height 
of  about  forty  feet  over  widely  scattered  masses  of  rocks 
and  aged  trees  suspended  between  them,  while  on  either 
side  enormously  lofty  trees  laid  their  thick  crowns  together 
over  the  roaring  cataract,  and  repulsed  the  inquisitive  sun- 
beams. I soon  stripped  Czar,  and  hobbled  him,  lit  a small 
fire,  put  the  coffee-pot  on  it,  and  lay  down  on  my  blanket 
close  to  the  fall,  in  order  to  make  a sketch  of  it. 

When  I was  sufficiently  rested,  I went  up  to  the  basin, 
undressed,  and  leapt  into  the  foaming  water.  I remained 
till  about  five  o’clock  at  this  Diana’s  bath,  as  I christened 
it ; and  it  is  known  by  that  name  to  all  the  hunters  who 
have  since  visited  it.  It  was  too  early,  however,  for  me  to 
camp  ; hence  I mounted  my  horse,  and  rode  up  once  more 
to  bid  adieu  to  the  cataract. 

Far  through  the  forest  I was  followed  by  the  roaring  of 
the  fall,  till  the  rustling  of  the  river  I was  approaching 
overpowered  it.  At  about  one  hour  before  sunSqt,  I reached 
the  prairie  at  the  southern  end  of  the  forest,  and  until  night- 
fal]  followed  its  skirt  in  an  easterly  direction,  till  I reached 
a spot  where  the  stream  emerged  from  it.  I camped  here, 
quite  concealed,  and  on  the  next  day  rode  eastward  towards 
the  mountains.  From  this  point,  I altered  my  course  to  the 
south,  and  rode  fhere  for  several  days.  One  afternoon, 
when  greatly  troubled  by  thirst,  I reached  a pleasant  grass 
valley,  on  which  several  mosquito-trees  grew : a fresh 
stream  wound  through  the  verdant  bottom,  and  a few  deer 
were  grazing  on  either  bank.  I dismounted  to  refresh  my- 
self with  the  eagerly  desired  draught,  and  grant  my  horse  a 
little  rest.  A very  large  deer  was  standing  over  two  hun- 
dred yards  off,  and  staring  intently  at  me.  I was  well 


Homeward  Bound. 


83 


stocked  with  meat ; but  the  query  whether  I could  hit  it  led 
me  away  as  it  had  so  often  done,  and,  while  sitting  on  the 
bank,  I fired  at  it.  The  deer  bled,  ran  a short  distance  in  a 
circle,  and  then  fell  lifeless  on  the  ground.  After  reloading, 
I went  up  to  it  to  fetch  the  fillet ; and,  while  engaged  in  fast- 
ening it  to  my  saddle,  I noticed  two  foot  Indians,  one  armed 
with  a rifle,  the  other  with  bow  and  arrows,  come  out  from 
behind  some  bushes,  and  advance  some  twenty  yards  before 
they  caught  sight  of  me.  I saw  their  terror  and  amaze- 
ment, and  that  one  of  them  crossed  his  arms  on  his  breast, 
and  laid  his  arms  on  his  shoulders,  which,  among  them,  is  a 
sign  of  friendship.  I made  them  a signal  to  be  off,  and 
assured  them  of  my  friendly  sentiments  in  the  same  way. 
Upon  which  they  described  a large  circle  round  me,  and 
escaped  from  sight  a long  way  down  the  stream.  I felt 
convinced  that  several  of  their  tribe  were  hunting  in  the 
vicinity,  as  they  must  have  heard  my  shot,  and  would  as- 
suredly not  have  emerged  so  carelessly  from  behind  the 
bushes,  had  they  not  believed  it  was  fired  by  one  of  their 
comrades.  I put  Czar  at  a sharp  amble,  as  the  grass  was 
not  high,  and  hurried  down  into  the  valley,  while  carefully 
looking  round  in  order  to  escape  this  menacing  place. 

About  sunset  I reached  another  small  stream,  where  I 
halted,  lit  a fire,  and  prepared  my  supper,  while  Czar  was 
enjoying  his.  Here  I rested  till  night  had  3et  in ; then 
saddled  again,  filled  my  gourd,  and  rode  on  for  about  five 
miles.  Here  I led  my  horse  into  a thicket  which  ran  be- 
tween two  steep  hillocks,  and  remained  in  it  during  the 
night.  It  was  very  probable  that  the  Indians  had  informed 
their  comrades  of  the  presence  of  a pale-face,  and  that  they 
had  followed  me  to  my  camp-fire,  but  had  been  unable  to 
strike  my  trail  in  the  darkness. 

From  this  point,  my  journey  was  for  several  days  a most 


The  Backwoodsman. 


84  - 

fatiguing  and  far  from  pleasant  one.  I constantly  wont  up 
and  down  barren,  stony  hills,  and  found  scarce  grass  enough 
to  feed  my  horse  : we  also  both  suffered  from  the  want  of 
water,  which  was  the  more  perceptible  on  the  bare,  heated 
rocks. 

I at  length  again  reached  the  limestone  region : but  I 
must  have  been  a great  deal  too  far  east ; for  the  mountain- 
c hain  was  much  lower  than  at  the  spot  where  I had  crossed 
it.  This  view  was  soon  confirmed  when  I went  down  into 
the  valley,  and  found  all  the  streams  I crossed  small  and  in- 
significant. The  country  continually  became  more  pleasant 
and  rich,  the  valleys  grew  broader,  and  the  vegetation  was 
more  luxuriant,  than  in  the  desolate  melancholy  ravines  I 
had  been  lately  riding  along.  I daily  expected  to  see  well- 
known  mountains,  and  looked  about  more  especially  for  a 
very  high  point  on  a mountain-chain  on  which  the  Indians 
had  built  a pyramid  of  large  stones. 

One  morning  1 had  just  left  camp,  and  was  riding  through 
an  extensive  prairie,  when  I fancied  I could  recognize  this 
landmark,  and  convinced  myself,  by  the  aid  of  my  glass, 
that  I was  not  mistaken.  I felt  myself  at  home  again, 
although  this  point  was  a good  day’s  journey  from  my 
house  : still,  I knew  in  what  direction  my  road  lay,  and 
eagerly  went  along  it. 

Late  at  night,  I rode  along  the  bank  of  a river,  which  T 
took  for  one  of  the  western  arms  of  Turkey  Creek ; and 
was  forced  to  halt,  and  pass  the  night  here,  by  the  numer- 
ous rocks  that  rose  from  the  tall  grass  and  ferns.  The  next 
morning  I passed  the  spot  where  I crossed  the  river  with 
the  unfortunate  Kreger,  by  means  of  the  trunk  of  the  tree ; 
and  at  noon,  reached  the  camp  where  the  storm  had  treated 
us  so  ill.  The  revived  memory  of  the  unhappy  man  was 
very  painful  to  me  ; and  I hurried  from  the  spot,  in  order 


Hotneward  Bound. 


85 


to  get  rid  of  the  blood-stained  picture  of  the  scalped  natu- 
ralist. I now  came  again  into  my  own  hunting-grounds, 
where  nearly  every  tree  and  shrub  reminded  me  of  a fine 
chase  ; and  my  desire  for  home,  and  my  faithful  Trusty, 
urged  me  on.  I rode  late  into  the  night,  till  I reached,  at 
ten  o’clock,  a camping-place,  where  I and  Czar  had  often 
stopped  before.  It  was  evident  that  the  sensible  creature 
recognized  his  home,  and  again  sought  the  same  spot  to 
rest,  where  he  had  before  stretched  his  beautiful  limbs. 

When  day  broke,  I rose  from  my  blanket  with  a feeling 
resembling  that  I felt  on  my  birthday  when  a child ; but 
soon  wretched  doubts  forced  themselves  on  me,  whether  I 
should  find  my  little  colony  all  right.  Czar,  on  this  day, 
was  washed  extra  clean  ; all  the  beards  of  the  turkeys  I 
had  shot  on  the  tour  were  fastened  on  the  bridle  ; the  beau- 
tiful skin  of  the  tiger,  shot  on  the  mountains,  was  laid  over 
the  panther-skin  to  display  it  in  the  best  way  ; and  I then 
continued  my  ride  towards  the  fort,  which  I hoped  to 
reach  at  noon,  with  a joyously  beating  heart.  The  grass 
however,  was  so  high,  and  rendered  going  so  fatiguing 
for  my  horse,  that  I advanced  but  slowly,  and  did  not 
reach  our  first  resting-place  at  the  commencement  of  the 
tour  till  noon.  Czar  was  very  hot  and  tired,  so  I did  not 
ride  on,  as  I had  intended,  but  unsaddled,  and  boiled  coffee, 
while  the  horse  was  reposing  in  the  shady  grass.  When 
the  greatest  heat  was  passed,  and  I had  washed  Czar  down 
in  the  stream,  I started  again  homewards,  and  saw,  as  the 
sun  was  setting,  my  beloved  virgin  forest  appear  above  the 
prairie,  and  the  two  immense  poplars  indicating  the  spot 
where  the  buffalo-path  that  led  to  my  settlement  entered 
the  forest.  It  was  about  ten  miles  off,  so  that  I could  cal- 
culate on  reaching  home  by  nightfall  without  any  great 
effort. 


86 


The  Backwoodsman. 


I had  ridden  through  a small  wood,  and  had  advanced 
into  the  prairie  some  hundred  yards,  when  I noticed,  on  my 
left,  at  about  a mile  distance,  five  horse  Indians  emerge 
from  a clump  of  oaks.  Their  horses  were  going  at  what 
is  called  a dog-trot,  although  it  seemed  to  be  increased  or 
diminished  according  to  Czar’s  pace.  I looked  at  them 
through  my  glass,  and  saw  that  only  two  of  them  had  bows 
and  the  other  three  were  unarmed.  As  their  appearance 
did  not  cause  me  any  apprehension,  I quietly  followed  my 
road  at  a gentle  walk.  We  constantly  came  nearer  ; and  I 
soon  saw  that  the  Indians  designed  to  meet  me  on  the  path. 
I therefore  held  my  horse  in,  so  that  they  reached  the  path 
when  I was  about  one  hundred  yards  distant  from  them. 
They  stopped  ; and,  when  they  saw  that  I did  the  same,  one 
of  the  armed  men  turned  his  horse  towards  me,  and  rode  a 
few  paces  nearer.  I made  signs  to  them  to  go  their 
way ; and,  when  I saw  they  'had  no  result,  I leapt  from 
my  , horse,  and  raised  my  rifle,  again  intimating  to  them  to 
ride  on.  They  now  shouted  to  me,  “ Kitchi,  ICitchi,  Dela- 
ware, Delaware ! ” the  names  of  friendly  tribes,  and  at 
the  same  time  made  the  signals  of  amity.  I,  however, 
signalled  to  them  again,  and  raised  my  rifle  to  my  shoul- 
der ; upon  which,  they  spoke  together,  and  went  up  the 
• hill  very  slowly,  one  behind  the  other,  till  I lost  sight  of 
them. 

The  suspicions  which  I entertained  of  all  Indians  in- 
duced me  also  to  ride  up  the  hill  to  see  what  had  become 
of  them.  To  my  great  surprise,  I saw  them  a long  distance 
ahead,  galloping  across  the  prairie.  This  sudden  haste 
could  not  be  explained  through  fear  of  me.  It  must  hdve 
another  cause  which  I could  only  find  in  the  fact  that  their 
camp  was  no  great  distance  off ; and  that  they  wished  to 
inform  their  tribe  of  my  presence,  so  as  to  cut  me  off  on  the 


Homeward  Bound. 


87 


prairie,  and  lay  wait  for  me  in  the  woods  on  the  Leone. 
From  the  direction  they  followed,  if  the  tribe  were  en- 
camped no  great  distance  from  the  path  that  led  into  the 
wood,  they  could  get  there  before  me  ; whence  I soon  made 
up  my  mind,  and  galloped  off  to  another  ford  of  the  Leone, 
about  twenty  miles  higher  up.  Czar  galloped  nearly  the 
whole  distance  ; and  I reached  the  forest  before  sunset.  I 
was  now  safe,  for  no  one  could  pass  through  the  wood  on 
horseback  ; and  the  narrow  buffalo-path  could  be  easily  de- 
fended. I reached  the  Leone,  welcomed  it  with  heartfelt 
joy,  and  hurried  down  the  opposite  bank,  towards  my  home. 
About  three  miles  from  it,  I had  to  cross  a hill,  whence  I 
could  see  my  fort.  I approached  its  crest  with  a loudly 
beating  heart ; because  I must  here  obtain  certainty  as  to 
the  fate  of  my  settlement. 

I looked  across  the  valley ; and,  on  the  other  side,  I saw 
the  fort  glistening  through  the  gloom,  A heavy  load  fell 
from  my  heart : I took  my  glass  ; every  thing  was  quiet ; 
the  smoke  rose  straight  from  the  kitchen  ; and,  suddenly, 
two  of  my  dogs  ran  up  from  the  river,  and  disappeared, 
through  the  palisades,  into  the  interior  of  the  fort. 
Czar,  too,  knew  perfectly  well  that  he  was  going  home  ; for, 
though  I had  ridden  him  unusually  hard,  he  kept  up  his 
amble,  while  usually,  when  he  was  tired,  he  had  a habit  of 
stopping,  and  biting  the  grass. 

It  had  grown  very  dark  when  I rode  up  the  last  hill,  to 
my  fort,  and  was  received  by  the  loud  barking  of  my  dogs 
which  dashed  through  the  holes  in  the  palisades.  But  all 
their  voices  were  overpowered  by  Trusty’s  bass  from  the 
interior  of  the  building.  The  dogs  soon  recognized  me  ; 
and,  springing  up  to  Czar,  expressed  their  delight  at  my 
return  by  loud  whining.  I now  raised  my  hunting-cry, 
which  was  responded  to  by  Trusty  tugging  furiously  at  his 


88 


The  Backwoodsman. 


chain,  and  a hearty  welcome  from  my  garrison.  The  chain 
of  the  gate  fell,  and  Trusty  flew  out  and  up  at  me,  so  that 
I was  hardly  able  to  keep  my  feet  under  his  demonstrations 
of  delight.  My  three  comrades  received  me  most  heartily, 
and  strove  to  show  how  much  they  were  attached  to  me. 
My  horses  and  mules  raised  their  voices  from  the  interior 
of  the  fort ; and  Czar  answered  them  by  his  friendly  whin- 
nies# 

When  the  first  greeting  was  over,  my  three  men  asked 
almost  simultaneously,  “But  where  is  Mr.  Kreger?”  I 
pointed  to  heaven,  and  intimated,  by  a short  “ by  and  by,” 
that  I would  tell  them  all  about  it  presently.  Czar  was 
soon  liberated  from  his  burden,  rolled  himself  heartily  at 
his  old  place  in  the  grass,  and  consoled  himself  with  his 
long-absent  maize-leaves,  while  I doffed  my  travelling  ac- 
coutrements indoors,  and  made  myself  comfortable  by  a 
wash,  and  change  of  dress.  We  were  soon  seated  round 
the  old  table  at  supper,  at  which  I refreshed  myself  with  a 
draught  of  fresh  milk  ; and  then  I described  the  unhappy 
fate  of  my  companion  Kreger.  An  almost  unanimous  u Did 
I not  foretell  it  ? ” burst  at  the  end  of  my  narrative  from  the 
lips  of  my  comrades,  who  all  felt  great  sympathy  in  the  un- 
happy man’s  fate. 


CHAPTER  X. 


THE  BEE-HUNTER. 

I was  the  first  to  rise  from  my  bed  when  day  broke,  and 
went  forth  to  enjoy  the  cooling  breeze.  Czar  was  not  yet 
awake,  and  merely  raised  his  head  a little  from  the  ground, 
gazing  at  me  with  his  glorious  eyes  as  if  he  wished  to  say 
that  it  was  too  soon  to  rise,  and  then  laid  his  head  down  on 
the  ground  again,  and  accepted  my  patting  without  stirring. 

After  breakfast  I saddled  the  cream-color,  for  which  the 
saddle-girths  had  grown  much  too  tight,  and  rode  with  one 
of  my  men  and  Trusty  to  the  other  side  of  the  river,  to- 
wards the  old  buffalo-path  that  led  to  the  prairie ; we 
reached  the  skirt  of  the  wood,  and  had  not  ridden  far  through 
it,  when  Trusty,  who  was  ahead,  stopped  and . looked 
% up  at  me.  I dismounted,  and  perceived  a number  of  foot- 
steps made  by  moccasons.  A little  farther  on,  the  grass 
was  trampled  down  by  a great  number  of  horse’s  hoofs. 
My  foreboding  was  then  confirmed.  The  entire  Indian 
tribe  had  laid  wait  for  me  in  the  woods  ; and  I should  cer- 
tainly have  fallen  a victim  to  their  treachery  if  my  good 
star  had  not  warned  me  of  their  design.  I silently  thanked 
my  guardian  angel,  who  had  already  led  me  through  so 
many  dangers,  and  rode  back  to  the  fort,  which  I reached 
shortly  before  noon,  with  a very  fat  deer  I had  shot  on 
passing  through  the  wood,  and  which  hung  across  my  com- 
rade’s saddle. 

A few  days’  rest  at  home  did  me  a wonderful  deal  of 

89 


90 


The  Backwoodsman. 


good  ; and  I felt  remarkably  comfortable.  Early  one  morn- 
ing, I was  engaged  in  shoeing  Czar’s  forefeet  (as  I always 
kept  a stock  of  shoes  and  nails  by  me),  after  which  I re- 
turned to  my  room  to  write  letters,  as  I intended  to  send  one 
of  my  men  in  a few  days  with  commissions  to  the  nearest  set- 
tlement. I had  been  writing  about  half  an  hour,  with  Trusty 
lying  under  the  table  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  when  the 
door  opened,  and  I,  of  course,  expected  it  was  one  of  my 
people.  Trusty,  however,  sprang  up,  barking,  from  under 
the  table,  and  pulled  me  down  as  I tried  to  hold  him  back 
by  the  tail.  In  an  instant,  the  furious  animal  leaped  at  the 
throat  of  a stranger  dressed  in  leather,  who  came  into  the 
room  with  a long  Kentucky  rifle,  pulled  him  down,  and 
would  certainly  have  killed  him  in  a few  minutes  if  I had 
not  thrust  my  hands  between  the  dog’s  jaws,  and  forced 
them  open,  though  his  teeth  were  buried  deep  in  my  fingers. 

With  all  my  strength  I lay  on  the  desperate  dog ; and 
my  men  dragged  the  stranger  out  of  the  door,  while  I was 
scarce  able  to  hold  back  the  animal,  which  leaped  up  madly 
at  the  closed  door.  I hurried  out  to  the  stranger,  in  whom 
I recognized  a bee-hunter,  who  had  paid  me  a visit  about  a 
year  previously.  He  was  seriously  hurt,  though  not  mor- 
tally, as  it  seemed.  I at  once  took  him  into  the  house  ; 
continually  applied  cold  bandages,  and  nursed  him  as  well 
as  I could  during  the  four  days  he  remained  with  me. 
Then  I discharged  him,  after  stocking  him  amply  with 
powder  and  ball,  coffee  and  salt,  needles,  thread,  and  other 
articles,  and  begging  him,  when  he  next  visited  me,  to 
knock  at  my  door  first.  I was  very  anxious  not  to  have 
these  bee-hunters  against  me,  as  they  might  prove  even 
more  dangerous  than  savages.  They  are  generally  scape- 
gallows  from  the  States,  and  live  in  the  desert  with  their 
horse  and  rifle  by  hunting,  and  collecting  honey  and  wax  ; 


The  Bee-Hunter. 


91 


the  former  of  which  they  pack  in  fresh-sewn  deer-hides,  and 
carry  it  with  the  wax  and  peltry  to  the  Indian  settlements, 
for  the  purpose  of  selling  or  swapping.  He  left  me  perfectly 
contented,  and  with  assurances  of  gratitude  and  friend- 
ship ; and  I was  very  glad  to  get  rid  of  this  unbidden  guest. 

One  evening,  as  the  sun  was  setting,  I felt  the  necessity 
of  hearing  the  crack  of  my  rifle.  I rode  down  the  river  to 
a small  pond  on  the  prairie,  which  was  filled  with  rain- 
water in  the  winter  and  retained  it  till  far  into  the  summer. 
Strangely  enough,  all  animals  prefer  this  water  to-  any 
other,  and  will  go  a long  distance  to  drink  it.  I led  Czar 
into  the  bushes,  threw  his  bridle  over  a branch,  and  sat 
down  on  the  edge  of  the  forest,  upon  the  roots  of  an  old 
oak,  waiting  for  the  game  that  might  come  to  water. 

It  was  growing  dark  when  a herd  of  deer  came  across 
the  prairie,  and  posted  themselves  on  a hill  behind  the  pond. 
They  were  all  rather  large  ; but  one  of  them  had  antlers  far 
larger  than  the  rest.  After  a short  halt,  they  advanced  up 
to  the  water-hole,  with  the  big  deer  at  their  head.  It  had 
drunk,  and  was  raising  its  head  wTith  the  mighty  antlers, 
when  I pulled  the  trigger ; and  the  bullet  struck  behind  the 
shoulder-blade.  He  ran  away  from  the  other  deer  to  a 
broad,  rather  deep  ravine,  formed  by  the  torrents,  and 
which  gradually  grew  narrower.  I mounted  Czar,  after 
reloading,  and  rode  after  the  deer,  which  suddenly  rose  be- 
fore me,  and  leaped  up  the  steep  wall  of  the  ravine.  It 
was  already  very  dark,  and  I was  afraid  of  losing  the  deer  ; 
hence  1 called  Trusty  to  follow  it.  Nothing  could  please 
him  better ; he  ran  after  it  up  the  wall,  and  pursued  it  into 
the  prairie  with  loud  barking.  As  the  spot  was  too  steep 
for  me,  I ran  back  ; and,  when  I reached  the  prairie  low  er 
down,  I saw  the  deer  proceeding  towards  the  woods,  and 
two  dogs  instead  of  one  following  it.  I gave  Czar  the 


92 


The  Backwoodsman. 


reins  in  order  to  cut  the  deer  off ; but  Trusty  caught  it  at 
the  moment,  and  the  supposed  second  dog,  an  enormous 
white  wolf,  attacked  my  dog.  All  three  lay  atop  of  each 
other,  when  I leaped  from  my  horse  within  shot,  and  hur- 
ried to  the  scene  of  action.  The  wolf  noticed  me,  and  tried 
to  bolt ; but  Trusty  held  it  tightly,  and  I ran  within  ten 
paces  of  them.  The  two  animals  were  leaping  up  savagely 
at  each  other,  when  my  bullet  passed  through  the  wolf’s 
side,  and  Trusty  settled  it.  The  deer,  which  had  thirty 
tines,  had  got  up  again,  but  soon  fell  on  a leap  from  Trusty, 
and  I killed  it.  I then  rode  home,  fetched  a two- wheeled 
cart  drawn  by  a mule,  drove  out  with  one  of  my  men,  and 
brought  back  the  deer  and  the  wolf,  whose  skin,  though 
not  so  fine  as  in  winter,  still  made  an  excellent  carpet,  under 
our  dining-table. 

There  was  nothing  to  do  now  in  the  fields ; hence  we 
seldom  went  there  ; and  our  visits  were  limited  to  one  of  us 
crossing  the  river  at  daybreak  in  a canoe  hollowed  out  of 
a monstrous  poplar,  and  walking  round  the  field  with  a 
fowling-piece,  in  order  to  put  a check  to  the  countless  squir- 
rels which  sprang  over  the  fence  to  reach  the  forest  at  day- 
break, partly  because  they  did  great  damage  to  the  young 
maize,  partly  because  they  supplied  an  excellent  dish  for 
breakfast. 

I was  taking  this  walk  one  morning  round  the  field, 
when  I saw  on  the  railings  at  the  hinder  end  several  whole 
stalks  hanging,  and  found  one  on  the  ground  in  the  forest. 
I went  into  the  field,  and  found  large  spaces  where  all  the 
stalks  had  been  pulled  up  and  carried  off,  but  could  not 
recognize  a trail  on  the  soil,  which  was  thickly  overgrown 
with  weeds  and  grass.  I followed  the  trail  into  the  forest, 
and  found,  at  no  great  distance  from  the  first  maize-stalk,  a 
footprint  on  the  ground,  which  seemed  made  only  with  the 


The  Bee -Hunter. 


93 


heel,  and  which  I took  for  a moccason.  The  maize,  how- 
ever, was  not  ripe  yet,  and  not  even  large  enough  for  boil- 
ing ; and  hence  it  seemed  to  me  improbable  that  Indians 
had  carried  off  the  plants.  I sought  farther,  and  soon 
found  a quite  distinct  enormous  bear’s  footprint,  which  in- 
dicated the  thief  more  clearly.  When  evening  came,  I and 
one  of  my  men  seated  ourselves  in  the  maize  with  Trusty, 
on  a couple  of  chairs  we  carried  there.  I had  my  large 
double-barrel  loaded  with  pistol-bullets,  and  my  cc  mrade  a 
double  rifle.  We  sat  for  a long  time,  as  the  moon  shone 
now  and  then  ; but  at  length  we  grew  tired  of  waiting,  and 
I got  up  to  go  home,  but  at  the  same  moment  fancied  I 
could  hear  the  crackling  of  drift-wood.  I fell  back  on  my 
chair  ; at  the  same  moment,  the  railing  in  front  of  me  grew 
dark,  and  almost  immediately  Bruin  appeared  with  his 
broad  chest,  and  peered  about  in  all  directions.  Piff ! paff ! 
I let  fly  both  barrels  at  him : he  disappeared  behind  the 
railing ; and  we  could  hear  him  dashing  through  the  wood. 
We  went  home  ; and  on  the  next  morning  at  daybreak,  we 
followed  the  trail  along  which  Trusty  led  us  to  the  dead 
bear,  which  had  only  run  a mile.  Its  fat  and  meat  fully 
compensated  for  the  damage  it  had  effected  in  the  field. 

One  morning  my  men  were  busily  engaged  in  hanging  up 
the  dried  meat  in  the  smoke-house,  when  one  of  them  came 
running  up  to  me,  and  informed  me  that  a herd  of  buffaloes 
was  coming  up  close  to  the  garden  on  the  river.  I seized 
my  rifle  and  darted  out,  shouting  to  my  men  to  keep  back 
the  dogs,  but  to  let  them  all  loose  when  I waved  my  hand- 
kerchief. I ran  out  of  the  fort,  and  in  a stooping  posture 
along  a prairie  hollow,  in  order  to  get  before  the  buffaloes,  ‘ 
which  were  marching  two  and  two  in  a long  row  up  from 
the  river  to  the  prairie,  and  lay  down  in  the  long  grass  un- 
der an  elevation  for  which  they  were  steering.  I had  been 


94 


The  Backwoodsman. 


lying  there  but  a few  minutes  when  the  first  bulls  appeared 
on  the  heights ; and  I shot  one  of  them,  though  without 
showing  myself.  The  buffalo  stopped,  sank  on  its  knees, 
and  fell  over,  while  the  others  gathered  round  it,  looked  at 
it  for  a long  time,  and  then  tried  to  make  it  get  up  by  push- 
ing it  with  their  horns.  If  you  do  not  show  yourself,  you 
can  in  this  way  kill  a great  number  of  these  animals,  as 
they  are  not  frightened  by  the  sound  of  a rifle. 

After  reloading,  I rose  on  one  knee  and  shot  a second, 
which  I hit  in  the  knee,  however,  instead  of  behind  the 
shoulder.  I saw  that  it  had  noticed  me ; for  it  turned 
round,  and,  with  its  head  down,  dashed  upon  me  from  the 
heights.  I sprang  up,  and  waved  my.  handkerchief,  and 
then  threw  myself  full-length  in  a narrow  gully,  while  the 
hunting-cry  of  my  people  in  the  fort  reached  my  ear  ; and  I 
recognized  Trusty’s  voice  among  my  dogs. 

I heard  the  thunder  of  the  savage  bull  approaching  me, 
as  it  made  the  ground  shake  under  me  ; and  I looked  up, 
expecting  every  minute  to  see  the  monster  leap  over  me  ; 
but,  when  it  was  within  about  twenty  yards  of  me,  it  stopped 
with  a terrible  roar,  as  it  had  lost  me,  and  now  saw  my 
dogs  dashing  up  the  valley  like  unchained  furies.  Prince 
Albert,  one  of  my  young  bloodhounds,  was  the  foremost, 
and  behind  him  came  Lady  Elssler,  his  bitch,  both  equally 
fast  and  courageous.  They  dashed  past  me.  I rose,  and 
now  came  Trusty  with  his  mouth  wide  open,  furious  that 
another  dog  should  dare  to  assault  the  enemy  before  him. 
My  hunting-cry  echoed  far  over  the  prairie,  where  the  two 
bloodhounds  hung  by  the  thick  hide  of  the  infuriated  bufialo 
on  its  wounded  side,  while  Trusty  pinned  its  monstrous 
muzzle,  in  which  he  buried  his  fangs,  which  never  loosed 
their  hold. 

The  bufialo  fell  back  a few  paces,  aud  then  rose,  with 


The  Bee  -Hunter . 


95 


Trusty  still  hanging  to  its  snout,  on  its  colossal  hind-legs, 
snorting  furiously.  I could  not  shoot,  on  account  of  the 
dog ; and  the  raging  brute  dashed  over  the  prairie,  holding 
Trusty  in  the  air,  who  only  every  now  and  then  was  able  to 
touch  the  ground  with  his  feet.  Ere  long,  however,  the 
whole  pack  had  caught  up  with  the  fugitives  ; and  the  brave 
dogs  hung  like  leeches  from  the  buffalo’s  shaggy  coat.  Still 
it  dashed  on  wiih  them*  towards  the  river,  at  a spot  where 
the  bank  was  forty  feet  high. 

I looked  after  them  with  terror,  for  there  was  no  doubt 
but  that  the  buffalo  would  dash  over  ; and,  in  that  case,  most 
of  my  dogs,  and  Trusty  more  especially,  would  be  buried 
beneath  it.  A few  more  leaps,  and  they  would  have 
reached  the  precipice  ; but  at  this  moment  the  monster  rose 
in  the  air,  and  turned  over,  covered  by  my  dogs.  It  roared 
and  raged,  till  the  sound  echoed  through  the  forest,  but  was 
unable  to  get  on  its  fore-legs  again,  because  Trusty  kept  its 
head  pinned  down  to  the  ground.  I could  hardly  breathe 
when  I reached  the  buffalo  : I held  my  rifle  to  its  broad 
forehead,  and  sent  a bullet  through  its  hard  skull.  The 
fight  was  at  an  end ; and  Trusty  came  up  to  me,  panting, 
and  waggiug  his  tail,  while  he  looked  up  to  me  as  much  as 
to  say  that  it  had  been  a tough  job.  He  limped  a little ; 
and  Leo,  a very  brave  dog,  had  a considerable  wound  be- 
tween the  ribs ; but  none  of  the  others  were  hurt. 

We  returned  to  the  fort,  and  were  preparing  to  fetch  the 
meat  in  the  cart,  when  we  saw  a horseman  coming  down 
the  river,  who  soon  dismounted  at  the  gate,  and  walked  up 
to  me  with  a pleasant  good-morning,  and  shook  my  hand. 
He  was  indubitably  the  handsomest  man  I had  ever  seen ; 
and  the  beauty  of  his  form  was  heightened  by  his  tight- 
fitting  and  neatly  made  leathern  dress. 

Without  asking  him  who  he  was,  I gave  him  the  hearty 


96 


The  Backwoodsman. 


welcome  which  his  amiability  claimed,  led  him  to  the 
dining-room,  had  his  luggage  brought  into  the  fort,  and  his 
horse  put  in  a stall  and  supplied  with  maize-leaves.  Then 
a breakfast  was  set  before  my  guest ; and  after  begging  him, 
in  the  old  Spanish  fashion,  to  make  my  house  his  home,  I 
apologized  for  being  obliged  to  leave  him  a little  while,  as 
I had  shot  some  buffaloes  close  by,  which  I wanted  to  get 
home. 

“Will  you  allow  me  to  assist  you?  I am  a good  hand 
at  it,”  was  his  reply.  He  had  soon  finished  his  breakfast, 
and  went  with  me  out  of  the  fort  to  the  river-bank  where 
the  buffalo  lay.  Although  I had  introduced  Trusty  to  the 
stranger,  the  dog  still  pressed  between  him  and  me,  which 
he  noticed  and  remarked. 

“ You  have  a fine  hound  there,  who  has  grown  up  in  the 
desert.  I have  heard  of  him  before.  He  is  no  friend  of 
bee-hunters,  and  yet  he  does  not  seem  savage  with  me.” 

I begged  him  not  to  touch  Trusty,  as  he  might  misunder- 
stand it,  and  we  soon  reached  my  quarry.  The  stranger, 
whose  name  was  Warden,  as  he  told  me,  laid  aside  his 
leathern  jacket,  which  was  tastily  ornamented  with  friuge, 
turned  up  his  shirt-sleeves,  displaying  thus  his  finely  formed 
muscular  and  white  arms,  and  drew  a splendid  hunting-knife 
from  its  sheath.  We  set  to  work  together  in  skinning  the 
buffalo,  in  which  operation  Warden  displayed  a remarkable 
skill,  then  broke  it  up  ; and,  while  my  people  carried  the 
meat  to  the  fort,  we  proceeded  to  the  other  buffalo  higher  up 
the  prairie,  and  prepared  it  in  the  same  way  for  removal. 

After  supper,  while  we  were  lying  on  the  grass  on  the 
river-bank,  my  guest  told  me  that  he  was  a native  of  Mis- 
souri, the  son  of  a farmer,  but  had  been  compelled  by  un- 
fortunate circumstances  to  quit  home,  and  had  been  living 
for  five  years  as  a desert-hunter.  At  first  he  remained  on 


The  Bee -Hunter. 


97 


the  frontiers  of  his  own  State  ; but  the  cold  winters  had  con- 
tinually driven  him  to  the  south,  until  he  at  last  got  so  far 
down  to  a country  whose  climate  agreed  better  with  him. 
He  remained  a whole  week  with  me,  and  made  himself 
useful  during  the  day  through  his  skill  in  making  all  sorts 
of  trifles ; while  in  the  Evening  he  described  in  a most 
lively  manner  the  numerous  dangers  he  had  fortunately 
escaped,  and  the  many  fights  he  had  had  with  the  redskins 
during  the  five  years. 

7 


CHAPTER  XI. 


THE  WILD  HORSE. 

• 

The  departure  of  Warden  was  very  painful  to  me  ; and 
the  evenings,  which  I generally  spent  alone,  grew  very 
long,  as  I had  before  gossipped  half  the  night  away  with 
him.  Hence  I went  to  bed  early,  and  followed  my  old 
habit  of  rising  before  daybreak.  I generally  took  my  rifle, 
went  with  Trusty  across  the  river  to  the  forest,  and  watched 
for  game. 

I was  cautiously  walking  one  morning  along  this  my 
favorite  spot,  and  inhaling  the  thousand  perfumes  which 
had  filled  the  recesses  of  the  forest  during  the  tranquil 
night,  avoiding  every  dry  branch  for  fear  of  startling  its 
denizens,  while  Trusty  followed  at  a short  distance  all  my 
windings  round  the  bushes  and  fallen  trees.  It  had  become 
tolerably  light,  when  I fancied  I heard  a rustling  at  an  open 
spct,  in  the  centre  of  which  stood  several  very  large  pecan- 
nut  trees.  I stood  still  for  a moment  and  listened,  holding 
my  breath,  for  a repetition  of  the  noise.  I heard  it  again, 
like  the  breaking  of  twigs  ahead  of  me,  but,  in  spite  of  my 
utmost  efforts,  could  not  perceive  that  even  a leaf  was 
moving. 

Once  again  the  same  breaking  and  rustling  reached  me  ; 
and,  on  looking  up  accidentally,  I saw  a thick,  black  lump 
shining  among  the  foliage  of  the  pecan-trees.  I soon  dis- 
tinguished a young  bear  busily  engaged  in  drawing  to  it 

08 


The  Wild  Horse. 


99 


with  its  long  paws  the  thin  branches  of  the  nut-tree,  and 
putting  the  unripe  nuts  in  its  mouth.  I quickly  sprang 
under  the  tree,  so  as  to  make  sure  of  the  bear,  which  was 
about  the  size  of  a sheep  ; but  I remembered  its  mamma, 
who  might  be  in  the  neighborhood,  and  easily  come  up  to 
fetch  her  pet  home.  I stationed  myself  under  the  tree  on 
which  the  cub  was,  and  made  Trusty  lie  down  by  my  side, 
as  he  was  beginning  to  growl,  and  pressing  his  nose  against 
the  tree. 

The  bear  saw  me,  and  became  greatly  alarmed ; sprang 
from  one  branch  to  the  other,  and  looked  timidly  down  to 
me.  I did  not  move,  but  listened  carefully  to  every  sound 
in  the  vicinity,  while  my  neighbor  came  down  to  the  first 
floor,  above  my  head ; and,  sitting  among  the  lowest 
branches,  produced  a cry  like  that  of  little  children.  It 
soon  repeated  its  wail,  and  I heard  far  away  in  the  forest  a 
hob,  hob,  hob,  hob,  coming  towards  me.  I sprang  up,  and 
placed  myself  behind  the  trees,  after  again  forcing  Trusty’s 
head  into  the  grass.  I distinctly  distinguished  by  the  leaps 
that  it  was  an  old  bear  hastening  to  the  help  of  her  cub.  I 
pointed  my  rifle  in  the  direction  whence  it  was  coming,  and 
suddenly  it  parted  the  foliage  in  front  of  me  with  its  broad 
shoulders,  whereupon  I gave  a loud  u pst.”  In  a second 
the  bear  sat  up  on  its  hind-quarters  ; and,  as  the  fire  flashed 
from  my  barrel,  it  made  a couple  of  leaps  towards  me,  but 
was  rolled  over  by  a second  bullet  through  the  head,  while 
I shouted  a “ Down,  sir ! ” to  Trusty,  who  was  on  the 
point  of  springing  up.  I drew  a revolver,  ran  up  to  the 
old  bear,  and  sent  a bullet  through  her  brain,  as  she  was 
still  furiously  hitting  out  with  her  terrible  paws. 

I next  reloaded  my  rifle,  and  looked  up  at  my  neighbor, 
who  had  fled  to  the  top  of  the  tree,  and  was  swinging  with 
the  branches.  I called  Trusty  away  from  under  the  tree, 


100 


The  Backwoodsman. 


bade  him  lie  down  in  the  grass  behind  me,  and  gave  the 
cub  something  which  brought  it  down  like  a ball,  crashing 
through  the  foliage  to  the  ground,  when  I put  the  other  bar- 
rel to  its  forehead,  and  stopped  its  young  bearish  existence. 
After  reloading,  I broke  it  up,  to  give  Trusty  his  share 
of  the  spoil,  — the  kidneys,  the  only  bear -meat  he  ever 
touched  unless  he  was  very  hungry.  I then  hastened 
home  ; and,  after  breakfast,  I went  back  to  the  forest  with 
one  of  my  men  and  three  mules,  when  we  broke  up  the  old 
bear,  and  carried  the  meat  home  on  two  of  the  animals, 
and  the  cub  entire  on  the  third. 

Thus  several  weeks  passed,  during  which  I went  little 
beyond  the  immediate  vicinity  of  my  house,  in  order  to  lay 
in  our  stock  of  meat  either  in  the  morning  or  evening,  when 
the  heat  was  less  oppressive.  During  the  day  we  were  cut- 
ting steps  in  the  perpendicular  river-bank,  out  of  which  a 
very  strong  spring  gushed  about  ten  feet  from  the  top,  and 
building  a small  dairy  over  it. 

After  finishing  my  job,  most  of  my  stores  were  nearly 
expended,  and  I required  a number  of  new  tools.  Hence  I 
went  myself  to  the  nearest  settlement,  sold  there  my  stock 
of  hides,  honey,  wax,  and  tallow,  and  took  home  the  arti- 
cles I needed  on  my  pack  animals.  While  at  the  settlement, 
I met,  at  the  store-keeper’s  with  whom  I was  bargaining,  a 
Mexican  lad,  sixteen  years  of  age,  who  had  accompanied  a 
brace  of  mules  brought  here  from  Mexico  for  sale,  and  had 
remained  as  waiter  at  the  hotel.  His  name  was  Antonio ; 
and  he  offered  to  go  with  me  and  stop.  He  was  recom- 
mended to  me  by  an  acquaintance  as  a first-rate  horseman 
and  lassoer ; and,  as  he  pleased  me  in  other  respects,  I ac- 
cepted his  offer,  and  he  rode  with  me  home. 

Antonio’s  skill  in  riding  was  extraordinary : it  was  all 
the  same  to  him  whether  he  had  a bridle  or  not,  whether 


The  Wild  Horse . 


101 


he  sat  in  a saddle  or  bare-backed ; once  on  the  animal’s 
back,  no  rearing  or  kicking  could  throw  him. 

He  also  threw  the  lasso  with  a master  hand.  I have  fre- 
quently seen  him  at  full  gallop  catch  a mule  by  the  foot 
which  I indicated. 

Between  the  fort  and  the  mountain-spring  there  were 
always  a great  number  of  wild  horses,  especially  in  the 
vicinity  of  a considerable  elevation  on  the  prairie,  whose 
highest  point  was  covered  with  a small,  very  thick  wood, 
where  a white  stallion  resided  with  his  harem.  Owing  to 
his  beauty  and  noble  blood,  the  Indians  revered  this  animal 
with  superstitious  fear.  The  hunters  had  tried  for  years  in 
vain  to  capture  him,  and  the  bards  of  America  had  raised 
him  to  immortality  in  their  ballads  and  narrations. 

I have  seen  and  admired  this  horse  a countless  number 
of  times,  as  my  hunts  so  frequently  passed  in  his  region, 
and  quite  as  often  I have  yearned  to  possess,  and  revolved 
the  means  to  get  him  into  my  power.  This  was  one  of  the 
reasons  why  I took  Antonio  into  my  service. 

The  mare  was  now  treated  with  very  great  attention, 
both  as  regards  food  and  cleanliness  and  exercise  : she  had 
no  more  grass,  and  the  corn  given  her  was  previously  sifted. 
She  was  ridden  every  morning  by  Antonio  ; and  the  distance 
she  had  to  gallop  was  daily  increased.  Then  she  was  led 
about  for  about  half  an  hour,  and,  when  brought  back  to 
her  stall,  rubbed  down  till  she  was  quite  dry  and  cool. 
Towards  evening  she  was  taken  out  again  for  half  an  hour’s 
walk,  and  before  she  went  to  rest  had  a douche  or  a swim  in 
the  river.  In  a fortnight  she  hardly  turned  a hair  after  gal- 
loping several  miles  ; she  had  grown  thinner,  but  her  flesh 
was  firmer,  and  her  golden-brown  hair  so  fine  that  every 
vein  could  be  traced  under  the  skin.  In  the  mean  while, 
Antonio  had  been  practising  with  the  lasso,  and  had 


102 


The  Backwoodsman. 


horribly  tormented  my  mules  with  this  disagreeable  instru- 
ment. 

The  preparations  lasted  three  weeks  ; after  which,  on  a 
cool  morning,,  we  left  the  fort, — Antonio  riding  a mule  and 
leading  Fancy,  one  of  my  colonists  on  the  cream-color,  and 
I on  Czar,  in  order  to  seek  the  stallion,  and,  if  possible, 
deprive  him  of  liberty.  It  was  one  of  those  days  — not* 
rare  in  our  country — when  the  sky  is  covered  with  a thin 
stratum  of  clouds,  which  deprive  it  of  its  glorious  azure, 
and  which,  though  it  does  not  conceal  the  sun,  breaks  the 
power  of  its  beams.  At  the  same  time  there  was  a breeze, 
so  that  the  day  was  more  like  autumn  than  summer.  Wo 
rode  down  the  river,  and  soon  saw  the  height  emerge  from 
the  prairie,  in  whose  vicinity  the  stallion  usually  had  his 
headquarters.  Our  horses  were  very  active  ; Czar  coquet- 
ted by  the  side  of  his  lady  friend,  Fancy,  in  his  most  ele- 
gant prancing  movements ; shook  his  bit,  and  snorted 
through  his  moist  nostrils,  while  turning  his  dark,  large 
eyes  towards  the  lady  ; Fancy,  conscious  of  her  noble  breed, 
walked  delicately  along,  and  carefully  selected  the  foot- 
paths. 

While  still  some  distance  off,  I noticed  to  the  side  of  the 
wood  on  the  knoll  a dark  patch,  which  I recognized  through 
my  glass  as  horses,  but  could  not  make  certain  whether  it 
was  our  stallion’s  family.  We  approached  slowly,  and  from 
every  new  height  distinguished  more  clearly  the  shape  of  the 
animals.  I had  no  doubt  about  it  being  the  troop  we  were 
in  search  of,  although  I could  not  yet  notice  the  stallion. 
A broad  valley  still  lay  between  us  when  we  halted  ; and  I 
saw  through  my  glass  the  snow-white  creature  rise  from 
the  grass  and  look  across  at  us,  while  many  horses  of  the 
troop  still  lay  on  the  ground  around  him.  We  rode  down 
into  the  valley ; the  stallion  stood  motionless  and  gazed  at 


The  Wild  Horse. 


103 


us,  but  when  we  reached  the  bottom,  he  suddenly  trotted 
about  among  his  troop.  All  the  horses  lying  on  the  grass 
leapt  up,  looked  at  us,  formed  into  a body,  and  dashed  at  a 
gallop  over  the  heights. 

Antonio  now  sprang  into  Fancy’s  saddle,  gave  his  mule 
to  our  companion,  took  the  lasso  in  his  right  hand,  and 
only  waited  for  my  signal  to  give  his  horse  her  head.  The 
-stallion  came  towards  us  at  a swinging  trot,  while  we  moved 
forward  at  a fast  pace,  and  bent  low  over  our  horses’  necks. 
A finer  picture  could  not  be  painted.  He  carried  his  small 
head  high  ; long  white  locks  floated  over  his  broad  forehead, 
and  his  long  mane  danced  up  and  down  at  every  step,  while  he 
raised  his  tail  straight  out,  and  its  long  curling  milk-white 
hairs  fluttered  in  the  breeze.  Ilis  broad  back  glistened  as 
if  carved  out  of  Carrara  marble  ; and  his  powerful  shoulders 
and  thighs  were  supported  on  graceful  little  feet. 

I rode  behind  Antonio.  The  stallion  was  not  fifty  yards 
from  us  when  I shouted  to  the  Mexican,  “ Forward  ! ” and 
Fancy  flew  at  such  a pace  towards  the  stallion  that  she  came 
within  five  yards  of  him  ere  he  recovered  from  his  terror. 
The  moment  for  his  fate  to  be  decided  had  arrived.  He 
turned  round,  and  made  an  enormous  leap  ahead,  that 
showed  me  the  flat  of  his  hind-hoofs,  while  he  held  his 
head  aside,  and  looked  back  after  his  pursuer.  The  lasso 
flew  through  the  air,  the  noose  fell  over  the  stallion’s  head, 
but  it  hung  on  one  side  of  his  muzzle  ; and  the  next  instant 
the  lasso  was  trailing  on  the  ground  behind  Fancy.  The 
stallion  seemed  to  know  that  it  was  a fetter  which  had 
touched  him,  for  he  shot  away  from  the  man  like  lightning. 
Antonio  coiled  up  the  lasso  again,  aud  followed  him  over 
hill  and  vale,  over  grass  and  bowlders,  at  full  gallop,  just 
as  the  tornado  darts  from  the  mountain  into  the  plain. 
Czar  was  beside  himself  at  the  idea  of  being  last ; but  I 


104 


The  Backwoodsman. 


purposely  held  him  back,  partly  not  to  excite  the  mare, 
partly  to  save  his  strength.  There  was  still  a hope  that 
the  stallion,  living  as  he  did  on  grass,  would  not  keep  his 
wind  so  long  as  our  horses  ; and,  though  he  was  now  several 
hundred  yards  ahead,  we  might  be  able  to  catch  him  up. 
Up  to  this  point,  however,  we  had  not  gained  an  inch  upon 
him  ; and  our  horses  were  covered  with  foam,  though  both 
still  in  good  wind. 

We  had  been  following  the  stallion  for  about  two  hours 
when  he  turned  off  to  the  mountains,  and  flew  up  them  with 
undiminished  speed.  The  ground  now  became  very  stony 
and  unsafe ; but  he  seemed  to  be  as  much  at  home  on  it  as 
on  the  soft  grass-land  he  had  just  left.  He  reached  the 
summit  between  two  steep  mountains,  and  disappeared 
from  our  sight  behind  them.  We  dashed  past  the  spot 
where  we  had  seen  him  last ; but  the  noble  creature  had 
reached  the  steep  wall  on  the  other  side  of  the  valley  when 
we  dashed  down  into  it. 

I saw  plainly  that  he  had  a difficulty  in  keeping  at  a gal- 
lop on  this  steep  incline.  We  gained  a deal  of  ground 
down  hill  and  through  the  grassy  valley,  and  reached  the 
wall  before  the  stallion  was  at  the  top  of  it.  Full  of  hope, 
I could  no  longer  remain  in  the  background.  Digging  both 
spurs  into  Czar,  I flew  on,  past  Fancy,  and  reached  the  sum- 
mit to  find  the  stallion  trotting  scarce  fifty  yards  ahead  of 
me.  Fancy  was  close  behind  me  ; and  I shouted  to  Antonio 
to  follow  me.  But  my  cry  seemed  to  have  poured  fresh 
strength  through  the  brave  fugitive’s  veins ; for  he  dashed 
down  into  the  valley,  leaving  behind  the  white  foam  with 
which  he  was  covered,  at  every  bound  he  made  on  the  rocky 
ground.  Gnce  again  I drew  nearer,  and  was  only  forty 
yards  from  him,  when  I saw  ahead  of  us  a yawning  canon , 
out  of  which  the  gigantic  dry  arms  of  dead  cypresses 


The  Wild  Horse. 


105 


emerged.  Here  the  stallion  must  turn  back,  and  fall  our 
prey  while  ascending  the  hill  again. 

But  he  went  straight  towards  the  abyss  : it  was  not  pos- 
sible,— he  could  not  leap  it.  I.remained  behind  him,  and, 
in  my  terror  for  the  noble  creature’s  life,  held  my  breath. 
One  more  bound,  and  he  reached  the  canon;  and  with  the 
strength  of  a lion,  and  that  desperation  which  only  the 
threatened  loss  of  liberty  can  arouse,  he  drew  himself 
together  and  leapt  high  in  the  air  across  the  gap,  which  was 
more  than  forty  feet  wide. 

I turned  Czar  round  towards  the  hill,  and  kept  my  eyes 
away  from  the  fearful  sight,  so  that  I might  not  see  the  end 
of  the  tragedy ; but  Antonio  uttered  a cry,  and  I heard  the 
word  “over.”  I looked  round,  and  saw  the  stallion  rising 
on  his  hind-legs  upon  the  opposite  deeper  bank  ; and,  after  a 
glance  at  us,  he  trotted  off  quite  sound  down'the  ravine,  and 
disappeared  behind  the  nearest  rock. 

We  stopped,  leapt  from  our  horses,  and  looked  at  each 
other  for  a long  time  in  silence ; then  I solemnly  vowed 
never  to  make  another  attempt  to  deprive  this  princely  ani- 
mal of  liberty.  Our  horses  were  in  a very  excited  condi- 
tion ; the  water  poured  down  them  in  streams,  and  the  play 
of  their  lungs  was  so  violent  that  they  tottered  on  their  legs. 
We  let  them  draw  breath  a little,  and  then  led  them  slowly 
back  to  the  mountain-springs,  where  we  intended  io  give 
them  a rest  ere  we  returned  home.  In  the  afternoon  we 
reached  the  spot,  excessively  fatigued,  and  found  there  our 
comrade,  who  greeted  us  with  a regretful  “ That  was  a 
pity  ! ” and  had  already  spread  our  dinner  on  a horse-cloth. 

We  stopped  here  till  the  evening,  and  then  started  for  the 
fort,  which  we  reached  late  at  night. 


\ 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE  PRAIRIE  FIRE. 

The  summer  passed  away  amid  sporting  pleasures,  which, 
though  they  always  consist  of  very  monotonous  events  and 
results,  still  do  not  lose  their  charm  for  the  man  who  feels  a 
true  passion  for  the  chase. 

We  had  been  busily  engaged  for  a week  in  making  some 
machinery  on  the  river  by  which  to  employ  the  water-power 
in  turning  a mill  to  grind  the  maize. 

Owing  to  this  I had  not  gone  out  much ; and  we  were  all 
longing  for  good  fresh  meat.  As  there  were  a good  many  buf- 
faloes in  the  very  neighborhood,  I resolved  to  hunt  them  on 
the  morning  after  our  mill  was  finished,  as  one  of  my  men 
had  seen  large  herds  during  the  day  on  the  prairie  across 
the  river.  The  morning  arrived,  but  with  it  sprang  up  a 
very  violent  westerly  wind  ; and  a few  light,  straggling 
clouds  proved  that  it  would  not  sink  in  such  a hurry.  In 
doubt  whether  to  ride  out  or  wait  another  day,  my  men 
persuaded  me  to  the  former  course,  as  the  chase  would 
probably  be  soon  over.  Hence  I rode  off,  but  left  Trusty 
at  home,  as  on  these  prairies  the  dry  grass  was  extraordi- 
narily high,  and  it  would  tire  him  too  much  to  force  his  way 
through  it,  especially  if  we  had  to  go  quickly.  I was  soon 
across 'in  the  wood,  where,  though  the  wind  did  not  meet 
me,  still  it  shook  the  tall  trees  so  terribly  that  the  dry  wood 
constantly  whizzed  round  my  head.  I reached  the  prairie 
106 


The  Prairie  Fire. 


107 


on  the  other  side  of  the  forest,  and  saw  several  herds  of 
buffalo  in  the  distance. 

Binding  my  hat  firmly  under  my  chin,  I rode  through 
the  tall  grass  in  a northern  direction  towards  them.  The 
storm  grew  more  violent,  and  laid  the  grass  so  flat  on  the 
ground,  that  I could  not  think  of  putting  my  horse  beyond  a 
walk  in  any  other  direction  than  with  the  wind,  as,  when 
the  wind  is  blowing  fiercely,  all  game  is  usually  more 
cautious  than  in  calm  weather,  as  it  has  to  make  up  by  the 
sight  for  what  it  loses  in  smell.  After  several  hours  of  use- 
less exertion  I turned  to  the  east,  towards  a spot  on  which 
some  scattered  oaks  grew.  Here  I fancied  it  would  be  easier 
to  approach  the  game. 

The  distance  to  the  first  tree-covered  hill  was  about  five 
miles  : and  I saw  through  my  glass,  at  the  elevations  behind, 
a great  number  of  buffaloes,  which,  however,  seemed  to  be 
in  a strange  state  of  excitement.  My  horse  found  it  hard 
walking,  owing  to  the  dry  grass,  in  which  Czar  was  com- 
pelled to  part  the  sharp  tangled  stalks  at  every  step.  I 
looked  constantly  towards  the  highland,  and  remarked, 
while  the  storm  howled  past  my  ears,  that  the  sky  was 
growing  obscured,  and  that  the  sunshine  was  not  so  bright 
as  it  had  been  a few  moments  previously.  I looked  around 
me  ; the  heavens  appeared  to  be  veiled  by  a gray  mist,  and 
grew  darker  behind  me,  and  on  the  edge  of  the  prairie 
were  perfectly  black.  I felt  a cold  shudder  ; for  I knew  the 
fearful  element  which  had  become  allied  with  the  storm, 
and  would  roar  over  the  plain,  scattering  ruin  around.  The 
prairie  was  on  fire.  It  is  true  that  I could  not  yet  see  the 
fire  ; but  the  black  smoke-clouds  rose  higher  and  higher  on 
the  horizon,  and  the  storm  soon  bore  them  past  me  over 
the  last  blue  patch  of  sky.  Only  one  chance  of  escape  re- 
mained. I must  reach  a knoll  where  the  grass  was  shorter  ; 


108 


The  Backwoodsman. 


and,  without  reflecting,  I gave  Czar  the  spurs  and  his  head, 
and  flew  in  rivalry  of  the  storm-wind  over  the  grassy  plains 
before  me. 

Czar  ran  with  long  leaps  through  the  tall  grass,  looking 
neither  to  the  right  nor  left.  With  every  moment  it  grew 
darker  around  me  ; and  the  reflection  of  the  spreading  sea 
of  flame  more  and  more  tinged  my  horse’s  snow-white  neck. 
It  was  not  his  ordinary  strength  that  urged  the  horse  to 
reach  the  knoll,  but  the  force  which  desperation  imparts  to 
men  and  animals,  but  soon  wears  them  out  and  ends  in 
utter  exhaustion.  The  sharp  spurs,  and  the  thunder  behind 
him,  urged  my  horse  constantly  on  at  a mad  speed  ; but  I 
felt  his  bound  gradually  lose  its  lightness  and  force. 

I was  not  far  from  the  hill  in  front  of  me  : once  more  the 
spurs  and  my  shrill  hunting-cry ; and  I flew  up  the  knoll, 
and  hobbled  my  trembling,  snorting  horse  on  the  bare 
table-land,  which  was  covered  with  pebbles  and  thin  patches 
of  grass.  I ran  back  to  the  tall  grass  with  a lucifer  in  my 
hand,  lit  it,  and  in  an  instant  the  flames  rose,  struggling 
wildly  against  the  storm,  and  darted  round  my  hill,  till 
they  joined  on  its  eastern  side,  and  dashed  along  like  an 
avalanche  with  the  howling  storm.  I now  looked  back  for 
the  first  time,  holding  my  brave  horse  by  the  bridle,  at  the 
fearfully  animated  plain,  and  watched  the  dark  living  forms 
hurrying  past  on  either  side  of  the  knoll.  The  whole  ani- 
mal world  seemed  assembled  here,  and  to  be  exerting  their 
last  strength  in  escaping  a death  by  fire.  On  both  sides 
beneath  me  thundered  past  in  wild  confusion  herd  after 
herd,  — buffaloes,  horses,  deer,  and  antelopes  were  pressed 
together ; and  between  them  rushed  bears,  tigers,  panthers, 
and  wolves,  one  after  the  other,  with  their  faces  averted 
from  the  glow,  which  the  storm  blew  with  a thick  black 
cloud  of  ashes  over  the  land.  Dark,  black  night  now  en- 


The  Prairie  Fire. 


109 


compassed  me  : only  a pale  reddish  glare  gleamed  through 
the  dense  ashes.  The  heat  was  stifling : I and  my  horse  — 
who,  trembling  all  over,  yielded  to  his  fate  — turned  our 
backs  to  it ; and  the  stream  of  fire  passed  us  on  both  sides, 
crackling  and  hissing. 

Gradually  daylight  returned,  and  the  sky  became  blue 
over  my  head.  Thousands  of  large  and  small  predaceous 
birds  followed  the  flames,  and  fell  now  and  then  in  them. 
On  all  sides  lay  the  black  carcasses  of  the  countless  victims 
which  this  prairie-fire  had  destroyed  ; and  many  animals, 
struggling  with  death,  were  rolling  in  their  agony  on  the 
plain.  Czar  and  I were  completely  covered  with  ashes.  I 
now  mounted  my  horse  to  get  away  as  quickly  as  possible 
from  this  scene  of  destruction  and  death,  and  reach  the 
green  forests  of  the  Leone  by  the  straightest  line. 

About  a mile  from  the  wood  on  the  Leone,  I saw,  to  my 
great  surprise,  on  my  right  hand,  a very  large  deer  and  a 
horse  walking  together  across  the  plain  to  the  wood.  They 
tottered  along  slowly  side  by  side,  and  seemed  not  to  notice 
me  at  all.  I rode  up  to  them : I fancied  they  had  been 
blinded  by  the  fire,  but  it  was  not  so  ; for  they  now  stopped, 
and  gazed  at  me  with  their  bright  eyes,  as  if  imploring  me 
not  to  prevent  them  from  reaching  the  wood.  Both  were 
slightly  scorched,  though  the  horse  had  lost  mane  and  tail : 
they  appeared  to  have  suffered  more  from  excessive  exer- 
tion, and  to  be  yearning  for  the  water  of  the  Leone.  I 
could  easily  have  killed  the  deer  ; but  I pitied  the  creature, 
and  besides  did  not  care  to  eat  its  hunted  flesh,  or  put  a fur- 
ther load  on  Czar.  Hence  I quitted  tbe  poor  creatures,  and 
reached  the  wood,  which  is  not  very  broad  here,  and  soon 
after  the  river,  where  Czar  refreshed  himself  for  a long 
time  in  the  cool  waters. 

It  was  evening  when  I reached  home,  tired,  and  without 


110 


The  Backwoodsman. 


booty.  My  people  had  seen,  by  the  smoke  which  covered 
the  sky  over  them,  that  the  prairie  was  on  fire  ; and  they 
were  very  anxious  about  me  on  account  of  the  violent  storm. 
I soon  sought  my  bed,  and  slept  till  the  sun  rose. 


CHAPTER  XIH. 


THE  DELAWARE  INDIAN. 

One  day,  after  dinner,  when  we  had  drunk  coffee,  my 
sentry  shouted  that  a party  of  Indians  were  coming  ,up 
the  river ; and  I perceived  through  my  telescope  that  they 
must  belong  to  one  of  the  civilized  tribes,  as  they  were  not 
armed  with  lances,  and  bows  and  arrows,  but  with  fire- 
arms, and  wore  clothes,  if  we  may  call  them  such,  consist- 
ing of  leathern  breeches^md  jackets,  and  a colored  handker- 
chief wound  round  the  head  like  a turban.  There  were  ten 
Indians  who  halted  at  the  great  gate  of  the  palisade  which 
enclosed  my  fort  in  a large  semicircle,  with  both  its  ends 
joining  the  river.  They  shouted,  “ Captain !”  and  then 
gave  me  to  understand  that  they  wished  to  speak  with  me. 
I went  out,  accompanied  by  Trusty,  with  my  large  gun 
loaded  with  slugs  on  my  arm,  and  found  that  the  men  be- 
longed to  a tribe  of  friendly  Delaware  Indians,  whose  chief 
I knew,  and  who  had  several  times  camped  in  the  very 
neighborhood,  and  paid  me  a visit. 

They  told  me  they  had  encamped  several  miles  down  the 
river,  where  they  had  arrived  on  the  last  evening ; their 
chief  had  sent  them  to  tell  me  that  the  prairie-fire  on  the 
previous  morning  had  been  caused  by  the  negligence  of  his 
men  ; but  that  it  had  spread  against  their  will,  and  had  not 
been  purposely  caused.  Then  they  asked  whether  the  chief 
would  be  allowed  to  visit  me,  and  rode  back  to  camp  after 
I had  appointed  his  visit  for  the  morrow. 

\ 


ill 


112 


The  Backwoodsman. 


The  next  morning,  at  about  seven  o’clock,  the  chief  of 
the  Delawares  duly  rode  up  with  three  of  his  men.  They 
bound  their  horses  by  lassos  to  pickets  which  they  drove 
into  the  ground,  carried  their  baggage  into  the  fort,  and 
accepted  my  invitation  to  enter  the  house,  where  our  parlor 
and  kitchen  were.  Delawares  have  always  been  on  the 
most  friendly  terms  with  the  United-States  Government, 
fought  on  their  side  against  England,  in  the  War  of  Libera- 
tion, and  have  assumed  a number  of  customs  from  the 
whites.  They  have,  as  their  property,  a district  of  land  on 
the  Kansas,  where  their  villages  are  situated ; and  their 
squaws,  children,  and  old  people  carry  on  agriculture  and 
cattle-breeding,  while  the  men,  with  some  of  the  squaws, 
hunt  in  the  desert  for  nine  months  of  the  year. 

The  Delawares  are  generally  got^d-looking ; the  men  tall 
and  well  built,  with  expressive,  marked  features,  aquiline 
noses,  large  dark  eyes,  long  black  hair,  and  not  a very  red- 
dish-brown complexion.  The  women  are  small,  but  neat 
and  pretty ; and,  in  spite  of  their  darker  hue,  produce  a 
pleasing  impression  through  their  regular,  sharply  cut  fea- 
tures, dark  curly  hair,  and  brilliant  coal-black  eyes.  They 
dress  themselves  with  some  degree  of  taste.  Their  clothes 
consist  of  gayly  painted  deer-hide  ornamented  with  beads, 
and  the  gayest  calicoes,  which  they  obtain  from  the  Govern- 
ment trading-posts  by  bartering  peltry  for  them. 

After  our  guests  had  taken  their  places,  I lit  a pipe,  and 
handed  it  to  the  chief,  who,  after  taking  some  twenty  pulls 
at  it,  passed  it  to  his  next  man  ; and  so  it  went  from  hand 
to  hand,  or  rather  from  mouth  to  mouth,  till  it  returned  to 
me.  During  this  ceremony  of  the  pipe  of  peace,  not  a word 
was  spoken  ; but  the  chief  now  broke  the  silence.  After 
puffing  out  a portion  of  the  swallowed  smoke  in  a dense 
cloud  from  his  lips  and  nostrils,  he  told  me  they  were  the 


The  Delaware  Indian. 


113 


best  friends  of  the  white  men,  and  would  remain  so,  and 
intended  to  stay  for  some  weeks  in  the  neighborhood  for 
the  purpose  of  hunting.  I assured  them  that  we  enter- 
tained the  same  feelings  towards  them,  and  that  I intended 
to  pay  them  a return  visit  at  their  camp. 

After  this,  dinner  was  served  up,  which  they  greatly  en- 
joyed. They  behaved  with  great  propriety  at  it,  were 
acquainted  with  the  use  of  knives  and  forks  ; and  it  could 
be  seen  by  their  conduct  that  they  frequently  came  into  con- 
tact with  white  men.  After  dinner,  the  chief  imparted  to 
me,  that  his  people  wished  to  have  a deal  with  me,  and 
swap  tanned  deer  and  antelope  skins  for  powder,  lead,  and 
flints.  I told  him  I should  be  delighted,  and  should  expect 
them  in  the  afternoon.  One  of  them,  who  called  himself 
44  Black  Tiger,”  pleased  me  remarkably.  He  was  a young, 
good-looking  man,  of  about  eighteen,  tall,  thin,  with  an 
open,  kindly  face,  and  displayed  great  animation  and  con- 
versational powers  for  an  Indian.  He  spoke  English  very 
well,  and  seemed  much  attached  to  me,  which  he  repeatedly 
told  me,  and  at  last  displayed  more  fully  by  expressing  a 
wish  to  remain  with  me.  I took  it  for  a joke,  laughed, 
and  told  him,  that,  in  that  case,  I would  build  him  a house 
for  himself,  and  give  him  every  thing  he  wished  to  have. 

They  then  rode  away,  after  indicating  the  position  of  the 
sun  when  they  intended  to  return  in  the  afternoon  for  the 
purpose  of  making  the  barter.  At  about  four,  p.m.,  some 
twenty  Delawares  dismounted  in  front  of  the  fort,  and  dis- 
played their  wares  on  the  prairie.  No  tribe  prepares  hides 
so  finely  as  this  one  ; and  I was  very  glad  to  obtain  a num- 
ber of  them  for  use  by  myself  and  my  men,  as  we  made 
our  clothes  out  of  them,  and  were  unable  to  prepare  them 
so  handsomely  ourselves.  The  exchange  was  soon  arranged 
to  mutual  satisfaction,  although  I had  given  but  little  pow- 
8 


* 


114 


The  Backwoodsman. 


der,  lead,  flints,  and  pressed  tobacco  in  proportion.  The 
chief  was  presented  with  a small  portion  of  the  above 
articles,  as  is  the  custom  on  such  occasions ; and  then  the 
whole  party  followed  me  into  the  fort,  where  I regaled 
them  with  coffee  and  bread. 

When  they  prepared  to  depart,  the  chief  told  me  that  one 
of  his  men,  Black  Tiger,  would  stop  with  me,  as  I had  of- 
fered to  build  him  a house,  and  give  him  every  thing  he  re- 
quired. He  would,  in  return,  be  a very  good  friend  to  me  ; 
and  he  (the  chief)  would  hear,  on  his  return  in  the  follow- 
ing year,  whether  he  remained  a Delaware.  I saw.  now 
that  it  was  no  jest,  and  replied  that  I would  be  a good 
friend  to  him  as  to  all  the  Delawares.  On  parting,  I gave 
him  the  assurance  that  I would  visit  them  next  morning  at 
their  camp.  Black  Tiger  remained  behind  in  great  delight, 
carried,  his  saddle  and  pack  into  the  fort,  placed  his  long 
rifle  and  hunting-pouch  in  the  parlor,  and  then  came  to  me, 
begging  I would  build  him  the  promised  house.  I inti- 
mated to  him  that  this  would  take  some  time  ; but,  in  the 
mean  while,  I would  give  him  a handsome  tent.  I fetched 
a very  large  white  and  red  striped  marquee,  and  asked  him 
where  I should  put  it  up  for  him.  He  pointed  out  a spot 
at  the  eastern  end  of  the  fence,  under  an  elm-tree,  on  the 
slope  over  the  river  ; and,  when  I told  him  that  I locked  the 
fort-gate  at  night,  he  laughed,  and  replied,  that,  in  that 
case,  he  would  shut  up  his  house  too. 

He  was  quite  beside  himself  with  joy  when  the  handsome 
tent  was  up,  and  the  long  red,  white,  and  blue  American 
pennant  floated  over  it.  He  now  refused  to  have  another 
house,  as  this  one  was  much  finer  than  mine.  A trench 
was  dug  round  the  tent  to  carry  off  the  rain-water ; and  the 
ground  inside  was  covered  with  some  buffalo-hides,  after 
which  Tiger  carried  in  his  baggage  and  weapons,  quite  de- 


The  Delaware  Indian . 


115 


lighted  with  his  house.  In  order  to  delight  him  even  more, 
I hung  upon  the  tent-post  a looking-glass,  put  in  a chair,  and 
gave  my  young  friend  a gay-colored  silk  handkerchief,  with 
which  he  bound  his  fine  black  hair  on  the  right  side  of  his 
head,  and  let  the  end  hang  over  his  shoulder.  After  supper, 
my  new  guest  went  to  his  tent ; and,  when  we  closed  the 
fort,  a merry  fire  was  still  blazing  before  it,  behind  which 
he  sat  on  his  stool,  and  smoked  a short  pipe  which  I had 
also  given  him. 

The  next  morning,  almost  before  sunrise,  I went  to  Ti- 
ger, and  saw  him  turning  some  spits  at  the  fire,  on  which 
he  had  placed  the  breast  of  a turkey,  while  by  his  side  lay 
another  young  cock,  which,  as  he  said,  he  had  fetched  for 
me.  He  had  been  hunting  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  to 
which  he  had  crossed  in  my  canoe.  An  hour  after,  he 
came  to  breakfast  with  me,  and  enjoyed  it  heartily,  espe- 
cially the  milk  and  bread.  Then  he  went  to  his  tent,  and 
slept  till  I called  him  to  ride  with  me  to  the  camp  of  his 
tribe. 

I had  mounted  Czar,  and  one  of  my  men  the  cream-color, 
when  my  young  Tiger  rode  up  to  us  in  full  costume.  The 
lower  part  of  his  face,  from  the  corners  of  his  mouth  to 
the  ear-tips,  was  painted  pure  red  with  vermilion  ; from 
this  a black  stripe  ran  to  the  eyes,  while  the  edges  of  the 
eyelids  were  again  thickly  daubed  with  vermilion.  His 
hair,  fastened  with  the  silk  handkerchief,  hung  oveV  his 
shoulders  ; and  in  front  of  his  chest  he  had  hung  from  a 
leathern  thong  the  looking-glass  from  his  tent,  which  com- 
pletely covered  it.  He  glowed  with  pride  and  joy,  and  was 
of  opinion  that  his  brothers  in  camp  would  stare  when  they 
saw  him  with  these  splendid  things. 

Tiger  was  mounted  on  a magnificent  piebald,  with  an 
enormous  black  mane  and  tail.  The  saddle  was  of  wood, 


116 


The  Backwoodsman. 


and  home  manufacture,  and  from  it  hung  two  large  wooden 
stirrups  by  leathern  straps.  Over  the  saddle  lay  a shaggy 
buffalo-hide,  under  which  the  tomahawk,  fastened  to  the 
saddle-bow,  and  a rolled-up  lasso,  peeped  out.  The  bridle 
was  composed  of  leathern  straps  fastened  under  the  horse’s 
jaw  with  a slipknot ; and  vermilion-dyed  strips  of  deer-hide 
were  plaited  in  the  mane.  The  long  single  rifle  hung 
downwards  over  Tiger’s  left  shoulder,  while  he  laid  his 
powerful  fore-arm  on  the  stock.  A small  medicine-bag  of 
beaver-skin  hung  on  his  right  side,  and  on  the  strap  pass- 
ing over  his  right  shoulder  a number  of  strips  of  shaggy 
buffalo-hide  were  fastened  as  a rest  for  the  rifle.  The 
young  rider’s  dress  consisted  of  leathern  breeches  adorned 
on  the  sides  with  a delicate  fringe  of  the  same  material, 
and  fastened  at  top  by  a strap  to  the  short  leathern  petticoat 
that  "was  gathered  round  his  hips,  and  decorated  with  very 
long  fringe.  On  his  feet  he  had  deer-hide  moccasons, 
round  his  neck  was  a collar  of  very  large  white  beads,  very 
finely  cut  out  of  shells,  and  round  his  arms  was  a number 
of  polished  brass  rings.  He  sat  his  horse  nobly,  and  turned 
his  flashing  black  eyes  in  all  directions. 

We  soon  reached  the  Delaware  camp,  hobbled  our 
horses  in  the  grass  close  by,  and  went  up  to  the  chief,  who 
was  lying  at  his  fire,  in  front  of  his  great  buffalo-hide  tent, 
and  beiug  served  with  food  by  his  two  young  squaws. 
Without  rising,  he  invited  us  to  sit  down  by  his  side,  and 
smoke  the  pipe  of  peace  with  him,  -while  he  silently  gazed 
in  admiration  at  Black  Tiger.  The  camp  consisted  of  some 
forty  tents  of  white  buffalo-hides,  erected  under  clumps  of 
trees  on  the  river-bank,  and  before  which  an  equal  number 
of  fires  was  burning.  From  the  trees  around  hung  a num- 
ber of  skins  of  every  description,  stretched  out  to  dry  in  the 
sun ; while  men,  women,  and  children  lay  round  the  fire, 


I 


The  Delaware  Indian.  117 

and  were  eating  their  dinner.  A heap  of  dogs  were  run- 
ning about  the  camp,  while  some  hundred  horses  and  mules 
were  grazing  around.  We  sat  down  on  a buffalo-hide  by 
the  chiefs  fire  ; and  he  at  once  told  us  about  his  journey 
which  he  had  made  in  spring  in  the  Rocky  Mountains  : he 
•wished  to  remain  during  the  winter  in  the  South,  and  next 
spring  pay  a visit  to  his  home  on  the  Kansas.  He  described  in 
a very  animated  way  the  hunts  he  had  made  there,  and  the 
bloody  fights  with  hostile  tribes  ; gave  me  a very  attrac- 
tive description  of  the  mountains,  rivers,  and  valleys  of 
those  parts  ; and  remarked,  with  a slightly  jealous  look, 
that  I occupied  the  best  land.  I answered  him  that  this 
land  was  free  as  before  to  friendly  Indians  like  the  Dela- 
wares : the  latter  could  sleep  the  more  tranquilly,  because 
I only  pursued  the  foes  of  my  Indian  friends,  and  had  cast 
my  bullets  solely  for  them.  This  speech  produced  a . very 
good  effect  upon  my  red  friend  ; and,  with  a cordial  laugh, 
he  took  my  hand  in  his  two,  and  shook  it  with  an  expres- 
sion of  the  most  hearty  and  sincere  friendliness.  Soon  after, 
he  said  a few  words  to  one  of  his  squaws ; and  one  of  his 
little  ones,  about  four  years  of  age,  came  out  of  the  tent 
soon  after,  dragging  an  enormous  tanned,  exquisitely  painted 
buffalo-hide,  which  he  presented  to  me,  while  his  father 
nodded  kindly. 

While  we  were  sitting  thus  coseyly  together,  several  of  the 
Indians  in  the  other  tents  prepared  to  go  hunting,  mounted 
their  horses,  called  their  dogs,  and  rode  off ; while  othei  s 
got  their  fishing-tackle  ready,  or  sported  with  the  girls  at  the 
fire.  Two  young  squaws  went  out  in  front  of  the  camp, 
followed  by  several  youths,  and  stood  side  by  side  to  try 
their  speed  in  running.  I looked  for  a long  time  at  these 
graceful  little  savages,  as  they  teased  each  other,  and 
bounded  about  with  the  most  pleasing  movements : then  I 


118 


The  Backwbodsm  an . 


once  more  assured  the  chief  of  my  friendship,  and  rode  back 
to  the  fort. 

Our  horses  had  enjoyed  a rather  long  rest,  when  I one 
morning  rode  across  the  river  with  Tiger  to  the  northern 
prairies  for  the  purpose  of  procuring  fresh  meat.  We  had 
been  an  hour  under  way  when  we  reached  a stream  which 
winds  through  the  prairie  to  the  Leone,  and  is  densely  over- 
grown on  both  banks  with  birch  - bushes.  The  stream 
through  its  windings  forms  here  almost  an  island,  as  it 
flows  past  again  only  a few  yards  from  its  own  bed.  I saw 
from  a distance  a remarkably  fat  buffalo  in  the  young,  fresh 
grass  of  this  island,  and  on  the  other  side,  in  the  prairie,  a 
herd  of  about  four  hundred  of  these  animals.  I dismounted 
behind  the  birches,  and  left  Tiger  with  the  horses : then  I 
sprang  through  the  stream,  and  crawled  on  my  stomach 
through  the  grass  towards  the  buffalo  ; Trusty  following  me 
exactly  in  the  same  way.  The  buffalo  continued  to  graze, 
and  did  not  seem  to  notice  me  at  all.  The  sun  burnt 
fiercely,  although  the  breeze  was  very  fresh ; and  I became 
frightfully  hot  on  this  march.  The  buffalo  was  one  of  the 
largest  bulls  in  the  herd,  and  seemed  to  have  selected  this 
luxuriant  spot  for  itself : it  frequently  looked  across  to  its 
friends,  and  drove  away  with  its  huge  fat  tail  and  horns 
the  flies,  tvhicli  on  this  day  were  most  troublesome.  Not 
far  from  it  grew  an  old  mosquito-tree,  the  only  one  on  this 
round,  rather  large  meadow ; and  a very  long,  strong,  but 
withered  branch  grew  horizontally  out  of  its  trunk,  about 
four  feet  from  the  ground. 

I was  near  enough  to  shoot  with  certainty,  but  the  buf- 
falo was  turned  from  me  ; and  I was  obliged  to  wait  till  it 
moved  before  I could  kill  it.  I lay  for  a long  time  motion- 
less, with  Trusty  behind  me,  whose  head  I pressed  down  to 
the  ground.  At  last  the  bull  started  round,  as  the  flies  had 


119 


The  Delaware  Indian. 

probably  given  it  too  fierce  a sting,  and  exposed  its  whole 
enormous  side  to  me.  I aimed  just  behind  the  shoulder- 
blade,  and,  as  soon  as  I had  fired,  laid  myself  flat  on  the 
ground.  The  buffalo  darted  round  several  times,  looking 
for  its  enemy,  but  then  tottered  against  the  tree,  where  it 
leant  against  the  withered  branch  to  keep  itself  from  falling, 
while  it  burst  into  a fearful  roar,  and  rolled  its  enormous 
head.  I gave  Trusty  a nod,  and  with  a few  leaps  he  was 
in  front  of  the  buffalo,  and  pinned  it  by  the  nose.  I had 
just  reloaded  when  the  bushes  parted  on  the  other  side  of 
the  meadow  at  a hundred  points,  the  whole  herd  of  buffa- 
loes dashed  through,  and  galloped  towards  me.  They  had 
heard  the  complaints  of  their  lord  and  Trusty’s  furious 
barking,  and  hurried  up  to  help  their  comrade.  I stood 
quite  exposed  ; and  expected,  that,  on  seeing  me,  they  would 
take  to  flight ; but  they  dashed  on  straight  towards  me. 
The  foremost  of  the  herd  were  only  thirty  paces  from  me 
when  I took  out  my  white  pocket-handkerchief,  and  waved 
it  in  the  air.  The  ranks  now  broke,  and  the  terrified  ani- 
mals dashed  past  me  on  the  right  and  left ; upon  which  I 
sent  two  bullets  after  them,  which  certainly  went  home, 
but  were  carried  away  by  the  wounded.  Tiger,  at  this 
moment,  came  through  the  bushes  with  the  horses,  and  said 
to  me  laughingly,  that,  if  I had  not  had  the  handkerchief, 
the  herd  would  certainly  have  run  over  me.  We  went  up 
to  the  shot  buffalo,  while  our  horses  grazed  near  us, 
paunched  it,  and  then  put  up  a number  of  white  rags  we 
had  brought  for  the  purpose,  and  fastened  to  sticks,  and 
laid  a white  cloth  over  it  to  keep  off  the  carrion  crows. 
Then  we  mounted  our  horses  for  the  purpose  of  riding 
home,  and  fetching  the  meat  in  the  mule-cart. 

We  were  in  our  saddles  when  a herd  of  about  four  hun- 
dred buffaloes  appeared  on  a rise  in  the  prairie,  halted  in 


120 


The  Backwoodsman. 


a long  point,  and  stared  at  us  in  amazement.  The  distance 
was  scarce  three  hundred  yards.  Tiger  looked  at  me  with 
a smile,  and  cried,  u Alligator  Creek  ! ” while  pointing  to 
the  herd.  I made  him  a sign  to  ride  on  ; and  we  were  soon 
galloping  behind  the  flying  buffaloes,  which  pressed  close 
together,  and  thundered  on  ahead  of  us  in  a cloud  of  dust. 
Tiger’s  clear  hunting-yell  urged  the  terrified  monsters  to  a 
more  rapid  flight ; and  in  ten  minutes  we  approached  a 
swampy  stream  which  crossed  the  prairie  obliquely,  and 
which  we  had  christened  u Alligator  Creek,”  from  the 
number  of  those  animals  in  it.  The  banks  were  very  steep, 
and  above  twelve  feet  high,  the  water  almost  dried  up, 
and  the  deep  bed  only  contained  black  thick  mud. 

The  dense  mass  hastened  before  us  towards  the  banks  of 
the  river-bed,  and  rushed  down  into  the  swampy  bottom 
with  deafening  roars  and  grunts.  Buffalo  after  buffalo  fell 
into  the  ravine,  till  we  pulled  up  on  the  bank  above  them, 
and  laughed  at  their  confusion,  and  the  efforts  with  which 
they  ascended  the  other  bank,  all  coated  with  mud.  I fan- 
cied that  at  least  one-half  must  break  their  necks  ; but  not 
one  of  them  remained  in  the  mud.  They  forced  their  way 
to  the  other  bank  atop  of  each  other,  and  sprang,  apparently 
at  least,  quite  unhurt  ujJ  it. 

We  now  rode  the  shortest  way  to  the  forest  on  the  Leone, 
and  again  crossed  the  stream  on  which  I had  shot  the  bull, 
about  three  miles  below  the  spot  where  it  lay.  We  passed 
through  the  thick  bushes  out  into  the  prairie  ; but  Trusty 
did  not  follow  us.  He  trotted  down  the  stream,  stopped 
every  now  and  then,  looked  up  to  me,  and  gave  his  deep 
bark.  I looked  at  him  curiously,  for  I knew  that  he  was 
on  some  track,  when  all  at  once  he  disappeared  in  the 
bushes,  and  stopped.  I gave  Czar,  whom  the  well-known 
voice  had  rendered  impatient,  his  head,  and  soon  reached 


The  Delaware  Indian. 


121 


the  bushes  among  which  Trusty  was  baying,  with  a revol- 
ver in  my  hand.  I turned  Czar  into  a gap  between  the 
bushes,  when  suddenly  the  shaggy  head  of  a furious  buffalo 
rose  above  the  bank  within  a yard  of  me.  My  startled 
horse  swerved,  and  cleared  the  bushes  by  a tremendous 
leap,  while  the  monster  dashed  past  me  with  a roar,  and 
galloped  across  the  prairie.  I soon  got  out  of  the  bush, 
however,  and  went  after  it,  while  Tiger  came  to  meet  me. 
I was  close  behind  the  bull,  when  Tiger  flew  past  it,  and 
gave  it  a bullet  from  his  long  rifle  near  the  neck.  The 
buffalo  followed  the  piebald  with  terrible  fury,  dyeing  the 
prairie  with  its  blood,  when  I darted  past  it,  and  gave  it  a 
bullet  from  my  revolver,  behind  the  shoulder-blade,  which 
lamed  its  left  fore-leg.  Trusty  now  attacked  it  in  the  flank  ; 
and  it  stood  at  bay,  holding  its  head  close  to  the  ground, 
with  its  nose  between  its  fore-feet,  and  holding  one  of  its  short 
sharp  horns  against  the  dog.  The  buffalo  stood  motionless, 
with  its  tail  erect,  while  Trusty  sprang  barking  before  it, 
waiting  for  the  moment  when  it  should  raise  its  head.  But 
its  hour  had  arrived.  I rode  within  twenty  yards,  and  shot 
it  through  the  heart : it  fell  lifeless. 


4 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

It  was  on  a bright,  healthy  morning  in  November,  that 
I,  accompanied  by  Tiger  and  Trusty,  left  the  fort,  and  rode 
down  the  river  towards  the  Rio-Grande  Mountains.  I had 
never  made  any  excursions  far  beyond  that  river,  and,  even 
when  hunting,  had  rarely  reached  its  banks,  as  it  is  enclosed 
on  both  sides  by  savage  rocky  mountains,  which  neither 
man  nor  brute  can  easily  traverse.  Tiger  had  formerly  been 
several  times  on  the  other  side  of  the  Rio  Grande,  and  told 
me  there  was  more  game,  and,  more  especially,  more  bears 
there,  while  rich  valleys  ran  between  the  mountains. 
Hence  I resolved  to  spend  some  weeks  in  those  regions,  and 
provided  myself  for  this  tour  with  provisions,  some  buffaJo- 
robes,  and  a small  tent ; which  articles  were  carried  by 
Jack,  a most  excellent  mule.  The  animal  followed  .my 
horse  without  being  led  ; and  I may  say  that  it  could  not  be 
kept  away  from  it  except  by  force.  We  had  no  trouble 
with  it  but  to  saddle  and  load  it  in  the  morning,  and  take 
ofl‘  its  burden  again  at  night.  It  would  certainly  stop  now 
and  then  at  a fresh  patch  of  grass,  and  snatch  a few  mouth- 
fuls ; but  then  it  galloped  after  us  again,  and  followed  at  our 
heels. 

We  rested  at  noon  at  the  mountain-springs,  which  I had 
not  visited  fon  some  time  ; and  we  were  forced  to  cut  an  en- 
trance into  the  little  thicket,  as  it  was  completely  overgrown. 
They  rewarded  us  on  our  arrival  with  some  fat  turkeys, 
122 


In  the  Mountains. 


123 


which  were  never  absent  there,  and  whose  delicate  meat  we 
enjoyed,  while  our  horses  rested  from  their  hot  march  over 
the  open  prairies.  About  three,  p.m.,  we  started  again,  and 
rode  in  a northern  direction  towards  the  foot  of  the  moun- 
tains ; as  Tiger  told  me,  that,  higher  up,  a river  ran  towards 
the  Rio  Grande,  with  a rather  broad  valley  on  either  side  ; 
and  I believed  that  this  stream  must  be  Turkey  Creek.  We 
crossed  the  Leone  towards  evening  at  a shallow  spot  well 
known  to  me. 

It  was  a favorite  spot  of  mine,  where  we  took  the  load 
off  our  animals.  A cheerful  fire  soon  blazed,  and  threw  its 
light  upon  them,  while  they  lay  in  the  young  grass  around 
us.  The  moon  had  not  set  when  we  had  finished  supper,  and 
fell  into  a refreshing  sleep.  The  eastern  sky  was  already 
tinged  with  red,  when  I woke,  and  saw  several  spits  with 
meat  already  put  before  the  fire.  The  horses  were  grazing 
round  our  camp  ; but  I missed  Tiger,  whose  weapons  lay  on 
his  buffalo-hide.  I went  a little  way  round  the  bushes,  and 
saw  him  on  the  open  prairie,  on  his  knees,  with  folded  hands 
and  uplifted  face,  awaiting  the  appearance  of  the  sun,  in 
order  to  offer  his  adoration  to  it.  I heard  him  speaking 
softly  to  himself  as  it  sent  its  first  beams  towards  us ; and 
he  continued  his  prayer  till  it  had  fully  risen  above  the  hori- 
zon : then  he  rose,  and  with  a pleasant  smile  came  back  to 
his  seat  at  the  fire.  He  then  produced  his  small  mirror  and 
box  of  vermilion,  laid  the  former  on  his  crossed  knees,  and 
painted  his  face,  as  he  supposed,  very  grandly : then  he 
arranged  his  splendid  hair  with  a comb  I had  given  him, 
rubbed  it  with  bear’s  grease,  and  tied  it  up  with  strips  of 
red  leather. 

It  was  late  when  we  started,  and  continued  our  journey 
in  a northern  direction.  The  prairies  here  grew  narrower ; 
the  woods  closer  connected,  and  the  country  more  uneven. 


124 


The  Backwoodsman. 


Although  we  kept  as  far  as  we  could  from  the  mountains  on 
our  left,  we  crossed  small  streams,  which  either  came  down 
from  the  mountains,  and  went  to  form  the  larger  streams 
with  which  they  flowed  through  the  hills  to  the  Rio  Grande, 
or  which  had  their  sources  in  the  eastern  plateaus,  and  pur- 
sued the  same  course. 

We  had  ridden  the  whole  morning,  and  not  fired  a shot  at 
game,  although  we  had  seen  a good  deal.  Our  fresh  meat 
was  quite  finished ; and  I was  just  saying  to  Tiger  that  it 
would  soon  be  time  to  shoot  something,  as  the  dinner-hour 
was  at  hand,  when  I saw  turkeys  running  in  a small  scrubby 
patch  ahead  of  us,  and  made  Trusty  a sign  to  follow  them. 
In  an  instant  he  put  them  up  ; but,  as  a dense  forest  rose  just 
before  us,  they  all  but  one  entered  its  impenetrable  foliage. 
The  latter,  an  old  cock,  rose  straight  in  the  air,  and  settled 
on  the  top  of  a very  tall  cypress  which  grew  on  the  skirt  of 
the  forest,  and  whose  roots  were  washed  by  a small  spring. 
It  waved  backwards  and  forwards  on  the  thin  branch, -as  if 
challenging  the  hunter  who  would  dare  to  fire  at  it,  while 
Trusty  leapt  up  at  it,  and  barked  loudly.  Tiger  looked  at 
me  laughingly,  pointed  upwards,  and  asked,  “ What  do  you 
think?”  I gave  him  a nod  to  try  his  luck.  He  sprang 
from  the  piebald,  took  a long  aim,  fired,  and  the  cock  did 
not  stir,  but  continued  to  oscillate,  and  look  down  at  Trusty. 
I felt  an  itch  to  try  my  skill.  I sprang  from  m^  horse, 
raised  my  rifle,  and  with  the  detonation  the  haughty  bird 
opened  its  wings  for  the  last  time,  fell  like  a ball,  and  smote 
the  ground  heavily.  Tiger  laughed,  and  said  that  he  would 
have  brought  it  down  too,  if  it  had  not  swung  so  on  the 
bough. 

We  could  not  have  chosen  a better  spot  than  this  for  our 
mid-day  rest,  as  our  horses  found  the  best  grass,  the  clearest 
spring-water  flowed  close  past  us,  and  the  virgin  forest 


In  the  Mountains. 


125 


offered  us  its  cool  shade.  We  therefore  quickly  unsaddled, 
hobbled  our  horses,  and  set  to  work  cooking  the  turkey. 
We  unwillingly  left  this  pleasant  spot  a few  hours  later, 
and  were  obliged  to  ride  a couple  of  miles  up  the  forest 
before  we  found  a buffalo-path  wide  enough  for  us  to  pass 
through.  For  about  an  hour,  we  rode  through  the  leafy 
labyrinth,  ere  we  reached  the  open  plain  again  on  the  other 
side.  Here  Tiger  rode  up  to  me  again  ; and,  talking  and 
jesting,  we  kept  our  horses  at  a brisk  amble,  while  Jack 
trotted  after  us. 

Suddenly  I heard  a “ hugh ! ” from  Tiger’s  lips ; and, 
pointing  to  the  ground  before  us,  he  stopped,  and  said  that 
the  buffalo-dung  on  the  path  was  quite  fresh,  and  the  ani- 
mals must  be  in  the  vicinity.  He  galloped  on  ; and  we  soon 
reached  a narrow  wood,  which  ran  through  the  prairie  in 
nearly  the  same  direction  we  were  following,  and  through 
whose  centre  ran  a small  stream.  We  had  scarcely  reached 
this  wood,  ere  Tiger  leapt  from  his  horse,  pointed  to  the 
ground  before  us,  then  pointed  to  his  ears,  and  made  a mo- 
tion with  his  hands  as  if  breaking  a stick.  He  sprang 
away  with  the  lightness  of  an  antelope,  scarce  touching  the 
ground  with  his  toes,  and  never  treading  on  a branch  which 
might  produce  a sound : then  he  suddenly  stopped,  lowered 
his  head  slightly,  and  listened  for  some  minutes,  — after 
which,  he  shot  ahead  again  at  such  a pace  that  I could 
hardly  keep  up  with  him.  He  presently  lay  down  on  the 
ground,  and  made  me  a sign  with  his  hand  that  the  buffaloes 
were  entering  the  water  just  under  us,  and  were  going  across 
to  the  prairie.  In  a few  minutes  he  leapt  up  again,  signed 
to  me  to  follow  him,  and  flew  down  the  wood,  through  the 
stream,  and  up  the  other  bank,  where  we  arrived,  behind 
the  last  bush  on  the  prairie,  just  as  the  buffaloes  had  only 
gone  a fe\y  yards  along  it,  and  two  of  them  were  stand- 


126 


The  Backwoodsman. 


* ing  on  the  other  side  of  the  bush,  and  staring  intently  at 
us. 

We  both  had  our  rifles  raised,  and  I gave  Tiger  a nod  to 
fire  first.  I kept  the  sight  between  the  eyes  of  the  buffalo, 
standing  on  the  right ; and,  as  the  flame  poured  from  Tiger’s 
gun,  I fired,  and  ran  round  the  bush  to  be  able  to  use  the 
other  barrel ; but  it  was  unnecessary,  for  the  two  gigantic4 
animals  were  rolling  on  the  ground  at  the  last  gasp.  Ti- 
ger’s buffalo  was  shot  through  the  heart ; and  the  bullet  had 
smashed  the  skull  of  mine.  We  hurried  to  our  horses,  and 
packed  the  best  bits  of  our  ample  booty  on  faithful  Jack’s 
back. 

The  sun  was  not  very  high  above  the  mountains  ; but  it 
was  too  early  to  spend  the  night  here.  Our  cattle  had 
rested  a little ; and  so  we  merely  allowed  them  to  drink, 
filled  our  own  bottles,  and  rode  merrily  on  in  a northern 
course.  Tiger  was  remarkably  colloquial  on  this  evening  ; 
and  the  time  slipped  away,  and  we  scarce  noticed  that  the 
night  had  spread  its  dark  wings  over  the  road,  which  now 
wound  between  conical  barren  hills.  I remarked  to  my 
comrade  that  we  should  have  a hard  camp,  which  he  denied  ; 
and,  moving  his  hand  across  a long  chain  of  hills  in  front  of 
us,  he  said  that  we  should  sleep  softly  on  the  other  side  of 
it.  While  saying  this  he  laid  his  cheek  on  his  hand  and 
closed  his  eyes. 

It  was  late  when  we  reached  this  chain  of  hills.  The 
mountain-side  was  very  steep  : although  we  selected  the 
lowest  spot  to  cross,  we  were  obliged  to  dismount,  and  lead 
our  horses.  Our  foothold  grew  more  and  more  uncertain 
on  the  loose  pebbles ; and  our  horses,  too,  were  obliged  to 
exert  themselves  in  clambering  over  the  many  large  stones 
with  which  the  ravine  was  covered. 

While  we  were  clambering  on  in  this  way,  Trusty  sud- 


In  the  Mountains. 


127 


denly  growled,  trotted  a few  yards  past  us  with  bristling 
hair,  and  then  barked  into  the  depths  behind  us.  Tiger 
said  a jaguar  was  following  us,  and  put  his  rifle  under  his 
arm.  We  at  length  reached  the  top,  where  we  let  our  ani- 
mals breathe,  and  looked  back  for  a long  time  at  the  valley 
behind  us,  but  could  see  nothing  of  our  pursuer,  although 
Trusty  continued  to  growl. 

We  descended  the  hill,  and  in  an  hour  reached  the  grassy 
damp  bottom,  where  we  remounted,  and  shortly  after  pulled 
up  on  the  bank  of  a large  river  whose  other  side  was  bor- 
dered by  a thick  wood.  Here  we  unloaded  our  cattle,  and 
soon  sank  into  the  most  tranquil  sleep  ; leaving  to  faithful 
Trusty  the  care  of  our  safety.  His  powerful  voice  soon 
awoke  us,  however,  and  made  us  clutch  our  rifles.  We 
called  him-  back,  stirred  up  our  fire  ; and,  as  we  could  see 
nothing  of  a foe,  we  fell  asleep  again.  The  faithful  dog 
awoke  us  again  several  times  ; but,  when  morning  broke,  he 
lay  rolled  up  by  the  fire,  and  was  fetching  up  the  rest  he 
had  lost  in  the  night. 

We  were  up  at  an  early  hour;  and  Tiger  found  in  the 
dewy  grass  not  far  from  our  camp  the  trail  of  a very  large 
jaguar,  which  had  prowled  round  it  during  the  night,  and 
disquieted  Trusty.  We  bathed  in  the  deep,  clear  river, 
then  breakfasted,  and  set  out  again. 

We  had  been  marching  for  three  hours,  when  the  country 
became  clearer,  the  mountains  formed  into  large  masses, 
and  the  valleys  between  grew  wider.  It  was  twilight ; and 
we  had,  as  I thought,  surmounted  the  last  short  but  steep 
rise,  when  Czar  suddenly  darted  back,  and  a jaguar  ap- 
peared about  thirty  yards  ahead,  gazed  at  me  for  a moment, 
lay  down  flat  on  the  grass,  and  drew  up  its  hind  legs  for  a 
spring.  This  did  not  take  an  instant ; and  I had  pointed 
my  rifle  over  the  neck  of  my  rearing  steed  at  my  enemy, 


128 


The  Backwoodsman. 


when  it  made  its  first  leap.  At  this  moment  I fired,  but 
heard  simultaneously  the  crack  of  another  rifle  behind  me. 
Czar  turned  round  at  my  shot,  and  almost  leapt  on  Tiger, 
who  was  standing  behind  me  on  foot,  and  then  darted  down 
the  hill.  I shouted  to  him  to  stop  my*horse,  and  saw  the 
jaguar  appear  on  the  top  of  the  steep.  I sent  my  second 
bullet  through  its  chest ; and  it  rolled  down  towards  me  in 
the  most  awful  fury.  I called  Trusty  to  me,  and  fired  a 
couple  of  revolver-shots  into  the  gigantic  body  of  my  foe, 
which  ere  long  gave  up  the  ghost  with  savage  convulsions. 
My  first  bullet  had  passed  through  its  left  side  ; but  Tiger’s 
had  seriously  hurt  the  spine  behind  the  left  shoulder.  Ti- 
ger’s shot  had  certainly  gained  the  victory,  as  it  robbed  the 
brute  of  its  springing  power  ; and  it  caused  him  great  delight 
when  I acknowledged  his  victory,  and  surrendered  to  him 
the  fine  large  skin,  which  I bought  of  him  on  the  same 
evening  for  a number  of  trifles  to  be  delivered  when  we 
returned  home. 

It  was  rather  dark  when  I lit  a large  fire,  and  we  set  to 
work  stripping  off  the  fine  spotted  skin  of  the  royal  beast. 
As  it  was  very  uncertain  whether  we  should  find  water,  we 
unsaddled,  hobbled  the  cattle,  and  put  on  the  coffee  water  to 
boil.  We  soon  had  the  jaguar’s  huge  skin  off,  and  hung  it, 
stretched  on  young  cedar-branches  on  a tree  close  to  the  fire, 
to  dry.  Then  we  prepared  supper,  drank  coffee,  and  ere 
long  were  asleep  near  our  horses,  while  Trusty  patrolled 
round  camp. 

A splendid  morning  awoke  us  from  our  dreams,  and  dis- 
played to  us  the  wild  but  beautiful  scenery  w$  had  noticed 
ou  the  previous  evening.  We  had  camped  at  the  entrance 
of  a plateau,  bordered  on  the  east  by  the  cedar-clad  hills 
sloping  down  to  the  Rio  Grande,  while  on  the  west#a  chain 
of  large  mountains  ran  northward.  The  plateau  was  abun- 


In  the  Mountains. 


129 


dantly  covered  with  grass ; but  its  surface  did  not  display 
the  same  monotony  as  those  lying  to  the  east  of  the  Rio 
Grande : it  was  covered  with  patches  of  wood,  and  here 
and  there  huge  masses  of  rock  arose.  We  marched  north- 
ward ; and,  as  the  mountains  to  the  west  appeared  to  us  too 
difficult,  we  soon  crossed  a splendid  small  stream  where  we 
watered  our  horses  and  filled  our  flasks.  For  three  days 
we  followed  its  course  through  this  park ; at  times  over 
fresh  green  prairies,  at  others  through  thick  woods  or  can - 
ons.  We  met  a great  many  antelopes  and  deer,  but  only 
saw  a few  buffaloes  at  a great  distance. 


9 


CHAPTER  XV. 


THE  WEICOS. 

On  the  third  evening  we  approached  the  western  moun- 
tain-chain whiqh  bordered  the  northern  end  of  the  plain  we 
were  crossing.  Our  road  slowly  rose,  while  we  steered 
towards  a gap  in  the  mountains,  where  we  hoped  to  find  an 
available  path.  For  an  hour,  our  path  was  steep,  and  vege- 
tation had  nearly  entirely  disappeared  ; only  a few  reeds 
were  visible  in  the  crevices  between  the  rocks. 

All  at  once  Tiger  shouted  to  me  to  halt,  and  immediately 
after  I heard  him  utter  “ Pah,”  in  his  Indian  language.  It 
was  water  he  wished  to  indicate  ; and  he  told  me  he  could 
hear  the  rustling  of  a stream.  Our  path  grew  rather 
broader,  and  ran  into  the  granite  masses  on  our  left,  while 
on  our  right  the  slope  was  not  so  steep,  and  sank  into  the 
ravine  between  a few  large  blocks  of  stone.  We  had  scarce 
gone  one  hundred  yards  when  the  road  before  us  proved  to 
be  blocked  by  scattered  masses  of  stone,  between  which 
stunted  oaks  and  bushes  grew,  while  I found  myself  in 
short  grass,  which  Czar  greedily  attacked.  I shouted  to 
Tiger  that  I could  go  no  farther  ; and  he  led  his  piebald  up 
to  my  side,  who,  with  the  never-failing  Jack,  also  went  at 
the  grass.  Tiger  was  of  opinion  that  it  was  a famous  spot, 
as  the  water  was  close  at  hand  below  us,  and  disappeared 
among  the  rocks.  He  soon  returned,  dragging  after  him 
several  dry  branches,  which  we  broke  up,  and  lit  a fire, 
which  soon  lit  up  the  immediate  neighborhood. 

130 


The  Weicos. 


131 


The  fire  was  supplied  with  large  logs,  and  we  then 
wrapped  ourselves  in  our  skins,  and  slept  till  daybreak. 
We  blew  up  our  fires,  put  on  our  horses’  bridles,  and  led 
them  down  the  hillside  to  water,  along  a path  on  which  we 
now  distinctly  noticed  fresh  buffalo-signs.  We  then  turned 
back  to  reach  our  Camp  again.  Tiger  led  his  piebald  in 
front,  but  stopped,  and  said  he  felt  much  inclined  to  climb 
up  the  opposite  wall  of  the  gorge,  as  it  was  full  of  crev- 
ices, in  which,  doubtless,  bears  were  hyberuating.  I 
hence  took  his  horse’s  bridle,  and  called  Czar  to  follow 
me,  while  Jack  completed  the  party,  and  Trusty  trotted  on 
ahead. 

After  a fatiguing  climb,  I again  reached  our  camp,  where 
I hobbled  the  cattle  in  the  grass,  and  sat  down  to  the  fire  to 
get  breakfast  ready.  I had  just  finished,  and  lit  a pipe, 
when  the  crack  of  a rifle  reached  me  from  the  opposite 
wall ; and  I supposed  that  Tiger  had  shot  a bear,  when,  a 
few  moments  later,  a second  shot  was  fired,  and  the  fright- 
fully shrill  sound  of  the  Indian  war-whoop  echoed  through 
the  gorge.  There  was  no  doubt  but  that  Tiger  had  come 
into  collision  with  hostile  Indians.  The  yell  rolled  down 
the  valley ; and  ere  long  two  shots  were  fired  in  rapid  suc- 
cession. I quickly  threw  our  saddles  and  baggage  behind 
large  rocks,  and  led  the  piebald  some  way  down  the  slope, 
while  Czar  and  Jack  followed  me : then  I fastened  the  cat- 
tle up  to  trees  a little  off  the  path,  and  sent  n\y  hunting-cry 
across  the  gorge  at  the  full  pitch  of  my  lungs.  Tiger  at 
once  answered  me.  I ran  down  to  the  pond  and  up  the  op- 
posite wall,  continually  uttering  my  cry  and  receiving  an 
answer.  Trusty  went  a little  ahead  to  clear  the  way  ; and 
then  I climbed  on  from  rock  to  rock,  until  another  shot  was 
fired,  and  I heard  Tiger’s  yell  higher  up  the  mountain.  I 
carefully  noticed  the  direction  whence  ttye  yell  came  ; nnd, 


132 


The  Bach  woodsman. 


calling  Trusty  to  me,  I ran  forward  rapidly,  though  cau- 
tiously, between  the  scattered  bowlders. 

I was  sending  before  a small  grass-covered  mound  when 
Trusty  growled  and  sniffed  : I went  up  in  a stooping  posture, 
and  hardly  had  reached  the  top  when  I saw  Tiger  with  his 
back  turned  to  me,  holding  in  one  hand  his  rifle,  in  the 
other  the  bleeding  scalp  of  his  murdered  foe,  and  gazing  at 
the  latter,  who  lay  outstretched  in  the  grass : without  turn- 
ing, he  told  me  that  the  Weico  had  almost  sent  him  to  his 
fathers,  but  his  heart  trembled,  and  hence  he  aimed  badly. 
Tiger  had  seen  his  enemy  first,  and  fired  soonest,  but 
missed  ; and  the  other  had  not  hit  him  either  as  he  ran.  Ti- 
ger pursued  him  ; and  both  reloaded  while  running,  till  the 
Weico  reached  the  spot  where  he  now  lay,  and  the  Dela- 
ware sprang  on  the  grass-plot  a little  higher  up.  The 
Weico  fired  and  missed  again  ; and  Tiger  in  response  sent  a 
bullet  through  his  loins,  though  without  being  aware  that 
he  had  hit  him.  The  Weico  disappeared  in  the  grass,  and 
Tiger  too,  as  he  fancied  the  other  was  reloading ; but  when 
lie  had  performed  the  same  operation  himself,  and  saw  noth- 
ing of  his  foe,  he  crept  to  an  adjacent  rock  which  he 
mounted,  and  saw  the  other  in  the  grass  reloading,  upon 
which  he  sent  a bullet  through  his  heart,  and  speedily 
scalped  him.  Tiger  now  took  his  conquered  foe’s  gun, 
medicine-bag,  beads,  and  armlets,  and  made  me  a sign  to 
return  to  the  horses,  while  he  sprang  from  rock  to  rock 
with  the  lightness  of  a deer. 

We  saddled,  and  soon  left  our  camp,  as  Tiger  said  there 
were  several  Weicos  in  the  neighborhood ; for  on  the  previ- 
ous evening  they  had  made  each  other  signs  with  the  owl- 
lioot.  Our  road  ran  from  here  close  to  the  precipice,  and 
for  some  few  hundred  yards  was  very  difficult.  We  were 
obliged  to  lead  the  horses,  and  make  them  leap  over  several 


The  Weicos. 


133 


granite  blocks,  while  the  grass  grew  to  a man’s  height  be- 
tween the  loose  stones  ; and  we  could  not  see  where  we 
stepped.  Here,  however,  the  road  became  better,  and  led 
us  in  a pretty  valley  through  which  a stream  wound,  while 
on  both  sides  granite  walls  begirt  it  to  a height  of  at  least 
three  hundred  feet. 

The  stream  wound  out  of  the  forest  close  by.  I had 
gone  to  it  to  fill  my  bottle,  when  I noticed  a number  of  bees 
on  the  bank,  which,  however,  did  not  fly  into  the  wood,  but 
into  the  prairie  before  us.  I called  up  Tiger,  who  seated 
himself  by  my  side  ; and  we  accurately  observed  their  course 
by  the  compass,  and  saw  that  they  all  flew  to  an  old  plane- 
tree  which  grew  in  the  grass  about  a thousand  yards  from 
us.  We  went  up  to  the  tree,  and  found  that  the  bees  went 
to  a very  large  bough,  which  had  an  opening  at  the  top. 
We  fetched  our  weapons  and  axes,  and  brought  out  our 
cattle  under  the  plane,  where  I also  ordered  Trusty  to  lie 
down.  Then  we  went  up  to  the  tree,  whose  stem  was  at 
least  eight  feet  in  diameter,  threw  a lasso  over  the  lowest 
branch,  clambered  up  it,  and  went  to  the  branch  containing 
the  bees.  It  was  at  least  a foot  and  a half  in  thickness ; 
and  we  had  to  work  with  our  small  axes  for  nearly  an  hour 
before  it  gave  way,  and  fell  with  a crash  to  the  ground ; 
whereon  the  startled  bees  rose  like  a pillar  of  smoke,  and 
swarmed  off  towards  the  forest.  We  soon  went  down  the 
lasso,  and  began  eating  the  clear  honey  which  flowed  out 
of  the  broken  branch.  We  ate,  and  took  pieces  of  the 
largest  combs  to  our  camp,  where  we  laid  them  in  the 
shade. 

We  had  eaten  heartily  of  it,  when  we  set  out  about  three 
p.m.,  and  continued  our  journey  down  the  stream.  The 
sun  was  sinking  behind  the  mountains  on  our  left,  when  we 
again  struck  the  stream  which  we  had  left  in  pursuing  a 


134 


The  Backwoodsman. 


northern  course,  and  resolved  to  pass  the  night  here.  We 
had  unsaddled,  hobbled  our  horses,  and  lit  a fire,  when 
Tiger  took  his  rifle,  and  went  towards  the  western  hills  to 
see  whether  he  could  procure  any  fresh  game,  as  our  stock 
was  entirely  exhausted.  The  sun  had  set,  the  time  hung 
heavy  at  the  fire  ; so  I rose,  took  my  rifle,  and  walked 
slowly  down  the  stream,  while  Trusty  ran  ahead  in  the 
scrub.  I had  hardly  gone  a hundred  yards  when  I noticed 
that  the  stream  turned  to  the  west  a little  lower  down  ; and 
its  banks  were  covered  with  rocks.  Suddenly  there  was  a 
crash  in  the  scrub  ahead  of  me  ; and  I heard  a loud  wail 
which  filled  me  with  terror,  for  I knew  the  sound  but  too 
well,  — it  was  the  wail  of  a jaguar-cub,  which  Trusty  held 
in  his  teeth.  I ran  up,  and  saw  him  shaking  one,  while  an- 
other was  escaping  in  the  bushes.  As  I knew  exactly  what 
would  happen,  I looked  around,  with  my  cocked  rifle  in  my 
hand,  and  saw  the  mother  coming  down  with  terrible 
bounds  from  the  oak-clumps  higher  up.  There  was  not  a 
tree  near  ; and  I must  await  it  in  the  open.  Trusty  placed 
himself  close  to  my  side  ; and,  with  every  hair  bristling,  he 
uttered  his  most  savage  bass-notes  through  his  gnashing 
teeth.  The  only  thing  now  was  to  hit,  or  else  Trusty  at 
least  was  lost,  and  myself  too,  very  probably.  Forty  paces 
from  me  the  infuriated  brute  crouched,  displaying  its  fangs, 
and  lashing  its  sides  with  its  long,  spotted  tail.  When  I 
shot,  the  beast  turned  over,  but  then  flew  towards  me  with 
a fresh  spring.  I shot  again  ; and  it  rolled  on  the  ground. 
I went  up  close  to  it,  and  fired  a revolver-bullet  through  its 
head,  whereon  it  fell  lifeless. 

After  reloading,  I went  back  to  camp  to  wait  for  Tiger, 
whom  I had  also  heard  firing.  It  was  dark  when  I heard 
him  coming,  and  saw  his  brown,  elastic  form  coming 
through  the  bushes.  Over  his  right  shoulder  hung  two 


The  Weicos . 


135 


deer-legs  ; and  the  stripped-off  meat  of  the  back  was  thrown 
across  the  barrel  of  his  long  rifle,  which  rested  on  his  left 
shoulder.  He  threw  down  his  load,  lay  on  his  stomach  on 
the  river-bank,  and  quenched  his  thirst.  Then  he  returned 
to  the  fire,  and  said  that  I had  been  shooting  too,  and  inti- 
mated by  three  fingers  the  number  of  shots  I had  fired.  I 
answered  him  that  my  deer  was  lying  down  the  stream,  but 
we  would  sup  first,  and  then  fetch  it. 

We  now  attacked  the  excellent  venison,  and  enjoyed  a 
hearty  supper,  when  I gave  Tiger  a sign  to  follow  me.  I 
led  him  to  the  jaguar ; and  he  uttered  a loud  cry  when  he 
saw  it  lying  on  the  grass  with  the  cub  by  its  side.  The 
moon  lit  us  while  we  stripped  off  its  splendid  skin,  which 
was  larger  than  the  one  we  had  obtained  a few  days  previ- 
ously. We  then  stretched  out  the  large  hide,  put  it  in  front 
of  the  fire,  and  slept  quietly  and  undisturbed  till  morning. 

On  this  day  we  followed  the  stream,  which  flowed  for 
about  five  miles  westward,  but  then  suddenly  turned  round 
a tall  hill  to  the  east,  and  probably  fell  into  the  Rio  Grande. 
Here  we  left  it,  however,  and  rode  up  a small  stream  which 
joined  it,  and  came  from  the  west.  We  followed  the  nar- 
row valley  through  which  it  ran,  and  found  there  a rather 
broad,  though  at  times  stony  road.  It  was  bordered  on 
both  sides  by  granite  hills,  and  ran  rather  steeply  up  to  the 
heights,  where  it  expanded  into  a table-land.  This  plateau 
lay  on  the  top  of  the  mountains  which  we  had  seen  to  the 
west  when  riding  up  ; and  I resolved  to  follow  it  in  that 
direction,  so  as,  if  possible,  to  reach  the  declivity  on  the 
other  side  before  night  surprised  us,  as  the  barrenness  of 
these  lofty  plateaus  recalled  unpleasant  reminiscences. 

Our  road  down  to  the  plain,  though  not  very  steep,  was 
fatiguing  and  wearisome,  as  the  hillside  was  here  and  there 
cut  up  by  broad  canons , which  we  were  compelled  to  ride 


136 


The  Backwoodsman. 


round.  As  we  were  going  down  one  of  these  ravines,  one 
of  the  beautiful  leopard-cats,  so  frequent  in  these  mountains, 
sprang  out  of  the  loose  stones  not  far  from  us.  I sent  Trusty 
after  it  down  the  ravine ; and  ere  long  he  began  barking. 
We  hurried  on  as  quickly  as  we  could ; and,  on  looking 
down,  I saw  the  beautifully  spotted  creature  crouching  on  an 
isolated  rock,  while  Trusty  was  leaping  round  it,  and  bark- 
ing. It  was  too  far  to  fire  with  a certainty  of  killing ; for, 
though  Trusty  was  quite  as  strong,  he  might  easily  be  so 
injured  as  to  be  unfitted  for  the  fatigue  of  our  tour.  Hence 
I dismounted,  and  crept  near  the  stone  on  which  the  leop- 
ard-cat lay.  I went  up  high  enough  to  see  it,  and  sent  a 
bullet  through  its  head.  The  rock  was  too  high  for  me  to 
climb  up  it  and  fetch  the  beast  down,  so  I was  obliged  to 
wait  till  Trusty  arrived.  I raised  him  on  to  the  rock,  and 
he  pulled  the  creature  down.  Then  I returned  to  our  cattle, 
while  Tiger  stripped  the  cat,  and  brought  me  the  skin. 


i 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


THE  BEAR-HOLE. 

For  about  a week  we  traversed  this  extensive  plain, 
first  northward,  following  the  base  of  the  hills  we  had 
crossed,  and  then  westward,  towards  the  more  western 
ranges.  Everywhere  Ve  found  the  richest  soil,  and  water 
in  abundance,  as  well  as  game  of  every  description,  and 
many  wild  horses.  We  lived  like  fighting  cocks,  always 
had  the  best  buffalo-meat,  as  many  deer  as  we  wanted,  and 
also  killed  several  antelopes.  In  a narrow  patch  of  wood, 
Trusty  aroused  a one-year-old  bear  from  its  winter  sleep, 
which  it  was  enjoying  under  some  old  fallen  trees,  and 
drove  it  out  into  the  prairie.  We  followed  it;  and  Trusty 
pinned  it  to  the  spot  by  a few  bites  in  its  breeches.  I was 
just  going  to  fire  when  Tiger  cried  to  me  not  to  do  so, 
sprang  from  liis  horse,  and  ran  towards  the  bear,  laughing 
and  leaping,  with  his  long  knife  drawn.  Trusty  leaped, 
barking,  in  front  of  the  irritated  animal,  which  showed  its 
teeth  savagely,  and  kept  him  off  with  its  fore-paws,  while 
Tiger  crept  behind  it,  and  — worthy  of  his  name  — leapt 
past  the  bear,  digging  his  knife  into  its  side.  The  bear 
made  a blow  at  him,  but  too  late ; and  Trusty  attacked  it 
on  the  other  flank.  Tiger  soon  passed  again  behind  the 
bear,  and  buried  his  knife  between  its  ribs  ; and  thus  the 
two  fought  till  the  bear  fell  breathless,  and  Tiger  stabbed  it 
to  the  heart.  He  was  not  a little  proud  of  his  grand  exploit, 
laughed,  and  said  that  he  had  killed  an  old  bear  in  the  same 

137 


138 


The  Backwoodsman. 


way  once,  but  had  unfortunately  lost  his  good  dog.  I was 
obliged  to  promise  him  a son  of  Trusty,  to  whom  he  hence- 
forth especially  gave  his  friendship.  The  bear  weighed 
some  hundred  pounds,  and  supplied  us  with  excellent  meat, 
in  addition  to  its  skin.  We  packed  a good  lot  of  it  on 
honest  Jack,  and  improved  our  meal  with  it  that  evening  at 
the  foot  of  the  Rio-Grande  Mountains. 

Here  the  limestone  rocks  ran  down  to  the  plain  ; and,  on 
the  distant  heights,  we  could  again  notice  dark  masses  of 
cedar-forests,  which  had  so  impeded  our  progress.  In  the 
evening  we  again  reached  our  stream  ; and  though  it  was 
still  early,  and  the  grass  not  particularly  good,  we  un- 
saddled, and  arranged  our  camp.  While  I was  thus  occu- 
pied, Tiger  took  his  rifle,  and  soon  disappeared  among  the 
rocks,  which  were  scattered  about  in  enormous  blocks  on 
our  left,  while  on  the  right  they  were  several  hundred  feet 
high,  and  displayed  numerous  rifts,  out  of  which  a tree 
here  and  there  grew.  Tiger  soon  returned,  and  told  me  he 
knew  where  a very  old  bear  was  asleep.  We  would  go  and 
fetch  it  next  morning : it  was  lying  in  a rock  crevice  ; and, 
judging  from  its  track,  it  must  be  a sturdy  fellow. 

Day  had  scarce  broken  ere  we  quickly  finished  our 
breakfast,  and,  in  a short  time,  came  to  a spot  where  good 
grass  grew : here  we  unsaddled,  fastened  our  horses  to  a 
tree,  and  then  ascended  the  hillside,  which  became  steeper 
the  farther  we  got.  Quite  at  the  top,  between  the  highest 
peaks,  Tiger  went  to  an  overhanging  rock,  and  stopped  be- 
fore an  opening  only  a few  feet  wide,  which  ran  downwards. 
Here  he  plucked  a quantity  of  long  dry  grass  from  between 
the  stones,  rolled  it  rapidly  into  a long,  thick,  loose  band, 
and  then  made  me  a sign  to  stand  near  the  hole : he  next 
lit  the  torch,  and  crawled  on  all  fours,  with  his  rifle,  into  the 
rocks.  I could  hear  only  for  a few  minutes  the  sound  he 


The  Bear-Hole. 


139 


produced  by  crawling  farther  into  the  cave,  and  then  there 
was  a silence  again.  I stood  with  Trusty  for  some  time 
without  hearing  the  slightest  sound ; when  suddenly  a 
stifled  echo,  resembling  a powerful  gust  of  wind,  came  out 
of  the  crevice,  and  directly  after,  a scratching  and  rustling 
were  audible,  advancing  towards  the  orifice,  till,  all  at  once, 
a heavy  black  bear  appeared  with  a bleeding  face. 

I was  standing  only  a few  yards  from  the  cave,  and,  for 
the  sake  of  Tiger,  wished  to  let  it  come  out  entirely  ere  I 
fired,  as  I felt  convinced  that  the  brute  was  wounded  ; and, 
by  firing  prematurely,  I might  turn  it  back  on  my  comrade. 
I pressed  close  to  the  rock ; and  the  bear  had  made  some 
forward  bounds,  when  I sent  both  bullets  through  it,  al- 
though without  checking  its  pace.  The  bear  disappeared 
behind  the  nearest  rock  ; and,  at  the  same  moment,  Tiger 
came  out  of  the  cave  all  right,  and  ran  off  as  quickly  as  a 
deer  after  the  bear.  I followed,  and  was  compelled  to  use 
every  exertion  to  keep  Tiger  in  sight,  when  I noticed,  that, 
in  running,  he  reloaded,  and,  suddenly  sinking  on  one  knee, 
fired.  But  he  at  once  sprang  up  again  ; and,  while  reload- 
ing, sprang  from  stone  to  stone,  till  he  knelt  once  more  and 
fired.  I kept  as  close  as  I could  behind  him,  and  was  run- 
ning up  a rather  steep  incline,  over  large  masses  of  stones, 
when  I heard  Tiger’s  rifle  crack  for  the  third  time.  In  a 
few  minutes,  I got  round  a large  rock  table,  and  saw  him 
carelessly  sitting  on  a stone,  and  reloading.  When  I went 
up  to  him,  he  raised  his  left  arm,  and  pointed  to  a heap 
of  piled-up  rocks,  where,  to  my  surprise,  I saw  the  bear 
peeping  over  one  of  them,  like  a preacher  in  his  pulpit. 
It  had  flown  there,  mortally  wounded,  to  defend  itself,  and 
showed  us  its  bleeding  terrible  range  of  teeth. 

I quickly  loaded,  and  shot  it  through  the  head,  upon 
which  it  rolled  down  from  its  elevation.  I took  out  my 


140 


The  Backwoodsman. 


pocket-book,  and  made  a sketch  of  the  rocks,  while  Tiger 
skinned  and  broke  up  the  bear.  I did  not  notice  the  latter 
retire  ; but,  when  I missed  him,  I rose  and  looked  about  for 
him.  On  going  a few  paces  round  the  rock,. I saw  him  on 
his  knees,  among  the  bushes,  praying,  while  before  him 
smoke  curled  up  from  a fire  of  leaves.  I quietly  walked 
nearer,  and  heard  him  muttering  to  himself,  while  a piece 
of  the  bear  hung  before  him  on  the  bush  over  the  smoke. 
He  soon  rose,  came  up  to  me  ; and,  when  I asked  him  what 
he  had  been  about,  he  laughed  cunningly,  and  answered 
that  this  meal  of  meat  out  of  the  bear’s  chest  was  for  the 
god  of  hunting. 

We  hurried  back  to  our  horses,  which  took  us  nearly 
half  an  hour,  although  we  went  for  the  most  part  down  hill. 
They  whinnied  as  we  approached,  and  waited  impatiently  to 
be  noticed.  Tiger  mounted  his  piebald,  and  rode  back  to 
the  bear  to  fetch  the  skin,  claws,  and  some  of  the  meat, 
and  was  back  in  camp  by  noon.  We  merely  drank  coffee, 
packed  our  animals,  and  laid  the  bear’s  enormous  ragged 
skin,  with  the  fleshy  side  upwards,  over  Jack,  who  looked 
terrible  in  consequence. 

We  still  followed  the  rocky  valley  up  till  about  evening, 
when  we  reached  a capital  spot  for  our  cattle,  and  I had 
dismounted  to  pass  the  night  here  ; but  Tiger  pointed  to  the 
north,  where  the  sky  was  slightly  overcast,  and  then  up  the 
hill,  where  brushwood  was  hanging  about  the  loose  stones, 
and  said,  “We  must  go  higher  up  the  stream,  or  else  we 
should  sleep  in  the  water.”  He  now  showed  me  that  this 
brushwood  had  been  lodged  among  the  stones  by  the  swollen 
stream,  and  we  consequently  camped  higher  up.  For  the 
first  time  during  this  tour,  our  tent  was  put  up,  and  our  bag- 
gage placed  under  it.  Then  we  dug  a deep  trench  round  it, 
and  laid  in  an  ample  stock  of  firewood.  We  lit  the  fire 


The  Bear-Hole. 


141 


under  a large  rock,  so  that  it  was  protected  from  the  north 
wind,  and  drove  strong  pickets  into  the  ground  in  order  to 
fasten  up  our  cattle  close  to  the  tent.  We  consequently  let 
them  graze  by  the  water  side  till  it  grew  dark,  and  then 
led  them  up  to  the  camp,  where  we  secured  them,  and 
on  the  next  morning  continued  our  journey  along  the  woods 
till,  to  our  great  joy,  we  found  a much-trampled  buffalo-track, 
by  which  we  entered  them.  It  led  us  down  between  two 
high  hills  ; and  hence  I was  afraid  lest  it  might  be  a path, 
which,  made  by  animals  grazing  on  the  hill  down  to  a 
stream,  would  terminate  there.  In  half  an  hour,  we  reached 
some  large  springs  which  gushed  out  of  a rock,  and  flowed 
in  a south-eastern  direction  through  a very  narrow  gorge 
covered  with  bushes,  dry  wood,  and  over-arching  cedars. 
The  path,  however,  ran  hence,  to  our  great  joy,  eastward  ; 
and  we  dismounted,  as  the  cedar-branches  hung  too  near 
over  the  path. 

We  had  almost  reached  the  top,  where  only  a few  cedars 
stood  before  us.  Suddenly  I fancied  I could  hear  a tremen- 
dous rustling  some  distance  off*.  I cautiously  ascended  to 
the  top  of  the  hill,  and  saw  here,  about  forty  yards  ahead 
of  me,  three  enormous  condors,  one  of  which  was  standing 
on  the  ground  with  expanded  wings,  while  the  other  two 
were  springing  round  it,  and  rising  each  time  some  feet 
from  the  ground.  I sank  on  one  knee,  and  sent  a bullet 
into  the  broad  chest  of  the  first ; while  the  other  two  flut- 
tered their  wings  with  a frightful  yell,  and  soon  rose  high 
in  air  above  me.  Just  as  I was  going  to  fire  the  second 
barrel,  Tiger’s  rifle  cracked  behind  me  ; and  the  eagle  I was 
aiming  at  turned  over  in  the  air,  and  fluttered  down.  I 
turned  round  to  the  third,  and  fired  at  it  as  it  was  soaring 
over  the  depths  near  us.  I saw  the  bullet  enter  the  soft 
feathers  under  the  belly ; and  it  shot  like  a dart  with  out- 


142 


The  Backwoodsman. 


stretched  wings  between  the  hills,  where  it  disappeared 
among  the  dark  cedars. 

Tiger  had  cut  off  his  eagle’s  head  by  the  time  I ran  up  to 
mine,  and  found  under  it  an  antelope,  which  the  brave  bird 
had  just  killed,  and  which  had  only  lost  its  eyes  and  tongue. 
Its  body  was  but  slightly  ripped  up  ; but  the  whole  back  was 
covered  with  blood,  which  flowed  from  countless  small  holes 
produced  by  the  eight-inch  long  claws  of  these  rulers  of  the 
air.  Tiger  was  beside  himself  for  delight ; for  the  wing 
and  tail  feathers  of  these  birds  are  the  greatest  ornaments  an 
Indian  knows,  and  he  will  readily  give  his  best  horse  for 
them.  He  wears  them  on  the  band  which  confines  his  hair  ; 
and  the  claws,  sewn  on  a strap,  form  a necklace.  I told 
him  I intended  to  skin  mine,  and  take  it  home  to  stuff ; but 
he  was  of  opinion  that  he  must  fetch  the  feathers  of  the 
third  condor,  which  had  fallen  into  the  valley ; and  he  at 
once  disappeared.  I did  not  consider  it  possible  to  get  down 
there,  and  utterly  so  to  find  the  eagle  ; for  I had  watched  it 
fly  at  least  a mile.  I at  once  set  to  work  skinning  my 
bird,  and  had  not  finished  when  Trusty  growled,  and  Tiger 
really  soon  ran  up  with  the  spoils  of  the  other  bird. 

It  was  noon  when  we  mounted  our  horses,  and  rode  down 
the  stony  incline.  We  moved  along  around  the  hills  again, 
and  seemed  hardly  to  leave  the  spot ; for  we  frequently  rode 
for  half  an  hour,  and  then  suddenly  found  ourselves  again 
in  front  of  an  old  withered  tree,  or  a rock  emerging  from 
the  cedars  which  we  had  seen  before.  We  rode  without 
interruption  until  the  sun  hid  itself  behind  the  liigest  peaks, 
and  cast  long  shadows  over  the  hills  glistening  in  the  even- 
ing light. 

We  halted  in  one  of  the  countless  hollows  of  these  stony 
mountains  where  rain-water  had  collected,  and  decent  grass 
grew  on  a small  open  space,  took  the  burdens  off  our  very 


The  Bear-Hole. 


143 


wearied  horses,  and  soon  lay  on  our  skins  near  the  fire.  A 
very  large  dry  cedar-trunk  rose  with  its  upper  half  out  of 
the  coppice.  We  lit  our  fire  against  its  side,  so  that  it  soon 
began  to  smoulder,  and  gave  out  a great  heat.  During  the 
night,  we  scarce  needed  to  look  at  it,  and  in  the  morning 
found  small  flames  still  playing  round  the  half-burnt  tree. 
Ere  long,  however,  we  mounted,  in  order  to  bid  farewell 
the  sooner  to  these  inhospitable  forests,  and  see  once  more 
the  frontiers  of  my  home,  — the  Rio  Grande. 

We  pressed  on,  uphill  and  downhill,  at  one  moment  rid- 
ing, at  another  leading  our  horses,  and  frequently  impeded 
by  wide  torrents  and  broad  ravines.  About  noon,  we  had  a 
prospect  of  a deep,  rocky  valley,  on  whose  sides  no  cedars 
were  to  be  seen,  and  greeted  it  as  the  bed  of  the  long-looked- 
for  river. 

We  were  obliged  to  go  higher  up  the  hills  here  on  ac- 
count of  numerous  obstacles,  and  lost  sight  of  the  river  for 
a while  ; still  the  sun  had  a good  hour  before  setting  when 
we  entered  a broad  buffalo-path  which  led  down  in  a 
straight  line  to  the  river.  I soon  recognized  on  this  road 
objects  I had  seen  before,  and  was  now  certain  that  the 
eastern  river  was  the  river  of  my  home. 

The  sun  was  setting  as  we  trotted  up  the  Leone  in  order 
to  reach  a camping-place  in  the  hills,  where  I had  rested 
many  a night  undisturbed,  and  to  which  I knew  the  road 
perfectly. 

‘When  near  our  destination,  we  were  riding  slowly  up  the 
last  ascent,  wThen  Tiger  uttered  his  familiar  expression  of 
surprise,  u Hugh  ! ” and,  turning  round,  pointed  behind  him, 
to  the  Rio  Grande.  I looked  back,  and  saw  a column  of 
flame  rising  on  the  hills  on  the  opposite  side,  which  rapidly 
spread  southward.  The  flames  covered  the  whole  hill ; and 
the  brilliantly  illumined  smoke-clouds  rolled  away  over 


144 


The  Backwoodsman. 


them.  The  fiery  waves  poured  savagely  and  uninterrupt- 
edly from  hill  to  hill,  checked  their  speed  but  for  a short 
time  in  the  deep  valleys,  and  then  darted  with  heightened 
fury  up  the  next  hill,  devouring  every  thing  that  came  in 
their  way.  The  cedar-woods  were  on  fire,  and  probably 
our  last  night’s  camp-fire  was  the  cause  of  it.  The  violent 
wind  had  doubtless  blown  the  ashes  of  the  burning  truuk 
into  the  coppice,  and  assailed  the  surrounding  cedars  ; ere 
long  the  whole  southern  horizon  was  a sea  of  fire,  out  of 
which  here  and  there  isolated  hills,  spared  by  the  flames, 
rose  like  black  islands.  We  lay  till  late  at  night  by  our 
small  camp-fire,  and  watched  the  terribly  beautiful  scene, 
regretting  our  incautiousness  or  neglect,  which  had  entailed 
such  fearful  destruction.  How  many  thousand  animals  had 
found  a martyr’s  death  on  that  night ! and  how  probable  it 
was  that  Indians  resting  there  had  been  devoured  by  the 
flames  ! After  lying  silently  for  a long  time  looking  across, 
Tiger  uttered  the  words,  “ Poor  Indians  sleep  warm ! ” ac- 
companied by  a deep  sigh. 

It  was  not  till  morning  that  fatigue  overpowered  us,  and 
we  fell  back  on  cur  saddles.  We  awoke  when  the  sun  was 
pouring  its  golden  light  over  the  world,  and  brilliantly  illu- 
mined the  gloomy  scene  of  desolation. 

We  crossed  the  Leone  about  noon,  at  the  same  pretty  spot 
as  when  we  began  our  journey,  and  soon  saw  the  pleasant 
mountain-springs  on  our  right.  Our  cattle  also  knew  that 
we  were  going  home,  and  increased  their  pace.  At  length 
we  reached  the  hill  where  the  first  view  of  the  fort  could  be 
obtained,  and  joyfully  greeted  its  gray  wooden  walls.  It 
was  still  early  when  we  rode  up  to  my  settlement  from  the 
adjoining  valley  ; and  two  shots  of  rejoicing  welcomed  us 
from  the  western  turret  of  the  fort,  to  which  we  responded 
by  firing  our  rifles.  Every  thing  was  in  the  old  state,  the 


/ 


The  Bear-Hole.  145 

garrison  healthy,  and  the  cattle  in  excellent  condition : the 
only  change  that  had  occurred  was,  that  one  of  my  mares 
had  enriched  me  with  a young  Czar,  that  several  calves  had 
been  dropped,  and  some  dozen  little  pigs  more  were  running 
about  the  fort. 


10 


CHAPTER  XVH. 


THE  COMANCHE  CHIEF. 

I felt  very  comfortable  in  my  pretty  house  ; and  Tiger 
informed  me  with  great  satisfaction  that  no  one  had  been  in 
his  tent  during  our  absence,  in  accordance  with  a promise  I 
gave  him  when  we  set  out.  For  some  days  we  hardly  left 
the  fort,  but  enjoyed  a rest.  Tiger  tanned  the  skins  we  had 
brought  home.  I stuffed  my  condor,  at  which  my  young 
friend  was  greatly  amazed,  and  firmly  declared  that  I re- 
stored the  bird  to  life.  After  this  we  rolled  cigars,  made 
new  clothes,  repaired  our  saddles  and  bridles,  and  employed 
ourselves  with  the  thousand  domestic  jobs  which  gather 
even  during  a short  absence.  But,  after  we  had  attended  to 
the  chief  matters,  several  wants  became  visible  which  we 
could  only  satisfy  on  the  prairie.  Thus,  among  others,  our 
substitute  for  sugar,  honey,  was  expended  ; and  at  the  sup- 
per-table we  resolved  on  going  out  on  this  hunt  the  next 
morning,  if  it  was  fine. 

The  morning  dawned  bright  and  calm  ; and  both  condi- 
tions are  required  for  a winter  bee-hunt,  as,  at  this  season, 
the  bees  only  work  in  warm  weather,  and  their  course  can- 
not be  watched  when  the  wind  is  blowing  hard.  We  got 
ready  immediately  after  breakfast,  Tiger  and  I,  armed  as 
usual ; but  Antonio  and  one  of  my  colonists  provided  with 
heavy,  sharp  axes  and  buckets,  while  Jack  carried  two 
empty  casks,  a copper  kettle,  large  wooden  spoons,  and  a 
tin  funnel.  Thus  we  trotted  over  the  spangled  prairie 
146 


The  Comanche  Chief. 


147 


across  to  Mustang  Creek,  crossed  it  and  its  thick  wood  by  a 
broad  buffalo-path,  and  then  rode  down  the  prairie  to  a fork 
formed  by  the  forest  on  an  affluent  of  the  Mustang,  joining 
that  on  the  latter  river. 

Here  we  halted,  stuck  a long  pole,  on  which  a small  tin 
frying-pan  was  fastened,  into  tbe  ground,  lit  dry  touchwood 
in  it,  and  laid  on  the  top  a piece  of  comb  in  which  some 
honey  remained.  Not  far  from  this  we  put  up  another  pole, 
with  a paper  smeared  with  honey  upon  it.  The  smoke  of 
the  boiling  wax  and  honey  serves  the  bees  cruising  over  the 
prairie  as  a guide  to  the  paper ; and  soon  the  busy  gatherers 
arrive  from  all  the  bee-trees  in  the  neighborhood,  load  them- 
selves as  heavily  as  they  can,  and  then  go  straight  home  in 
a direct  line.  The  hunter  now  observes  in  which  direction 
the  greatest  number  of  the  insects  swarm,  because  this 
leads  him  to  expect  a richer  tree  as  well  as  a shorter  dis- 
tance to  go.  When  he  has  decided  on  his  route,  he  follows 
the  swarm  with  his  bait  as  far  as  he  can  see  it,  then  puts 
up  the  pole  again,  and  waits  till  they  settle,  or  the  honey 
ones  move  and  then  fly  home.  Thus  he  follows  the  indus- 
trious insects,  till,  by  their  restless  activity,  they  show  him 
the  spot  where  their  treasures,  collected  during  many  years, 
are  concealed  ; and  he  then  disturbs  the  colony  with  cruel 
hand,  robs  it  of  its  laboriously  gathered  stores,  kills  thou- 
sands of  the  colonists,  and  drives  the  rest  away  homeless. 

We,  for  our  part,  behaved  no  better,  except  that  we  had 
brought  sacks  in  which  to  carry  the  shelterless  bees  home, 
and  give  them  an  abode.  A very  large  swarm  went  towards 
the  Leone,  and  another  to  the  affluent  on  the  left.  We  de- 
cided for  the  former,  however  ; and  in  less  than  half  an  hour 
found  ourselves  in  front  of  a gigantic  maple  that  grew  on 
the  skirt  of  the  forest,  in  whose  long  trunk,  between  the 
lowest  branches,  the  orifice  of  the  tree  was  completely 


148 


The  Bachwoodsrrian. 


covered  with  the  insects.  We  hobbled  our  horses  some  dis- 
tance from  the  tree  ; lit  a fire  near  it ; and  two  of  us  set  to 
work  with  the  axes  to  cut  it  down.  Tiger  and  I had  the 
first  turn  ; and,  when  we  were  tired,  the  two  others  took  our 
place,  till  we,  thus  working  in  turn,  made  the  proud  tree  fall 
with  its  whole  weight  on  the  grass,  where  its  splinters  flew 
a long  way  around. 

Each  of  us  seized  a firebrand,  and  ran  with  buckets, 
spoons,  and  knives  to  the  cracked  part  of  the  trunk,  where 
the  honey  was  exposed,  while  the  bees  circled  high  above  us 
in  the  air  in  a dense  swarm.  The  firebrands  were  laid  on 
the  ground  near  the  honey ; old  damp  wood  was  laid  on 
them  to  increase  the  smoke  ; and  we  hurriedly  cut  out  the 
comb,  and  poured  the  liquid  honey  into  a bucket,  which  we 
emptied  into  the  kettle  which  was  slightly  warmed  by  the 
fire.  Honey  runs  from  the  cells  with  a gentle  heat ; and, 
when  it  is  liquid  enough,  the  latter  are  pressed  between  two 
boards  till  all  the  honey  runs  out,  after  which  it  is  strained 
through  a coarse  sieve  into  the  cask. 

By  the  time  we  had  secured  our  booty,  it  was  noon  ; and 
we  recovered  from  our  fatigue  over  a cup  of  coffee  and 
maize-cake  : then  we  went  back  to  the  spot  we  had  started 
from,  and  followed  the  swarm  to  the  small  affluent,  where 
we  found  the  bees  in  another  old  plane  close  to  the  prairie. 
We  also  robbed  this  tree  : it  was  even  richer  than  the  first, 
and  contained  layers  of  honey  probably  fifteen  years  old, 
the  oldest  of  which  were  nearly  black.  When  we  had  fin- 
ished this  job,  our  two  casks  were  full,  and  the  bucket  loaded 
with  quite  fresh  comb. 

Evening  had  arrived ; and  the  bees  had  collected  in  a 
dense  mass  on  a branch  of  the  felled  tree.  We  held  an 
open  sack  under  them,  shook  them  in,  and  then  rode  back 
to  the  first  tree,  whose  colony  we  also  took.  We  returned 


The  Comanche  Chief. 


149 


home  with  our  sweet  stores,  emptied  our  sacks  into  two 
hollow  trees,  and  placed  them  on  a scaffolding  near  the  fort. 
The  honey  was  conveyed  to  the  storeroom,  and  the  wax 
melted,  and  laid  by,  when  cold,  in  plates.  The  Indians  keep 
their  honey  and  bear-lard  in  fresh  deer-hides,  which  they  slit 
as  little  as  possible  in  skinning.  They  cut  off  the  neck  and 
legs,  sew  the  openings  up  very  tightly  with  sinews,  fill  the 
skin,  and  close  tho  last  opening  in  the  same  way,  into  which 
they  thrust  a reed,  and  squeeze  the  honey,  as  they  want  it, 
through  the  latter.  The  honey  keeps  in  this  way  very  well, 
and  is  easier  to  carry  on  horseback  than  in  hand-vessels. 
We  employed  the  honey  in  every  way  sugar  is  used  in  the 
civilized  world.  We  sweetened  our  coffee  and  tea  with  it, 
employed  it  in  cooking  various  dishes,  in  preserving  fruit, 
such  as  grapes,  plums,  mulberries,  &c.  In  a word,  it  fully 
took  the  place  of  that  expensive  and  hardly  procurable  pro- 
duct of  civilization,  and  could  always  be  obtained  in  such 
quantities  that  we  never  ran  short  of  it.  When  hunting  in 
the  neighborhood,  we  very  often  found  bee-trees,  which  we 
marked  in  order  to  plunder  them  as  we  wanted. 

One  afternoon,  when  Tiger  had  ridden  off  at  an  early 
hour  in  pursuit  of  game,  I took  my  gun  to  go  after  geese 
down  the  river,  which  I heard  croaking  from  the  fort.  I 
went  out  wuthout  calling  a dog,  and  ran  down  to  the  water. 
I passed  the  garden  and  the  ford,  where  the  river  winds  to 
the  north  in  the  wood,  and  went  into  the  bushes,  in  order  to 
approach  the  geese,  which  I had  seen  about  a hundred  yards 
farther  on.  All  at  once  I heard  something  like  the  footfall 
of  a horse  echo  through  the  forest  on  the  opposite  side.  I 
listened,  and  convinced  myself  that  I was  not  mistaken. 
Tiger  had  gone  southward  in  the  morning  to  Mustang 
Creek  ; and  I could  not  imagine  how  he  was  now  returning 
from  the  north.  I lay  down  among  the  bushes,  so  as  to 


150 


The  Backwoodsman. 


keep  an  eye  on  the  ford : the  noise  drew  nearer,  till  a 
mounted  Indian  appeared  on  a path  on  the  opposite  side, 
who  stopped  there,  and  looked  cautiously  around. 

After  a while,  the  redskin  crossed  the  ford ; ascended  the 
opposite  bank  ; and,  taking  his  long  rifle  in  his  right  hand,  he 
led  his  horse  into  a thick  bush  about  forty  paces  ahead  of 
me.  There  he  fastened  it  up,  laid  his  rifle  across  his  left 
arm,  and  shook  fresh  powder  into  the  pan  from  his  horn. 
What  could  the  Indian  intend?  and  to  what  tribe  did  he 
belong?  These  questions  occured  to  me  simultaneously  with 
the  suspicion  that  he  might  probably  have  hostile  designs. 
My  gun  was  loaded  with  not  very  heavy  shot ; but  it  carried 
as  far  as  the  Indian’s  rifle,  though  it  did  not  kill  so  cer- 
tainly. I had,  however,  some  slugs  in  my  hunting-pouch  ; 
and,  while  he  was  repriming,  I,  as  I lay  flat  on  the  ground, 
pulled  out  two  of  the  largest  bullets  that  fitted  my  gun.  I 
thrust  them  both  into  the  barrels,  and  then  slowly  drew  the 
ramrod,  pressed  two  paper  wads  on  the  bullets,  and  returned 
the  ramrod  to  its  place. 

During  this,  the  Indian  had  returned  his  powder-horn  to 
its  place,  taken  his  tomahawk  from  the  saddle  and  thrust  it 
through  his  belt,  woven  several  large  leafy  branches  of  ev- 
ergreen, myrtle,  and  rhododendron  under  his  saddle,  so  that 
they  concealed  the  color  of  his  light  horse,  and  then,  leaving 
the  path,  went  in  a stooping  posture  through  the  wood 
towards  my  garden.  I cautiously  followed  him  at  a dis- 
tance of  about  one  hundred  yards,  bending  down  close  to 
the  ground,  continually  keeping  behind  the  bushes,  and  dis- 
appearing in  the  grass  when  he  stopped,  or  made  a move- 
ment as  if  to  look  round.  He  seemed,  however,  only  to 
keep  his  eye  on  the  garden,  and  bent  lower  the  nearer  he 
got  to  it.  Suddenly  he  fell  into  the  tall  grass  between  the 
evergreen-bushes,  and  disappeared  from  my  sight.  Had  he 


The  Comanche  Chief. 


151 


heard  me,  or  seen  me  fall  down?  The  point  now  was, 
which  of  us  should  see  the  other  first.  The  grass  in  which 
I lay  was  not  very  high  ; but  green  bushes  hung  down  to  the 
ground  in  front  of  me,  too  close  to  be  seen  through  by  my 
foe,  but  still  leaving  me  sufficient  gaps  through  which  to 
peep  ; while  the  bushes  round  him  were  scrubby,  and  the 
grass  alone  concealed  him.  If  he  had  seen  me,  he  would 
certainly  not  remain  lying,  as  he  would  have  the  worst 
of  it. 

I had  raised  myself  sufficiently  to  survey  his  place,  and 
after  a while  noticed  the  grass  waving  a little  to  the  left  of 
the  spot  where  I had  last  seen  him.  Every  thing  became 
still  and  motionless  again  ; and  we  lay  thus  for  nearly  a 
quarter  of  an  hour,  when  I saw  the  Indian  raise  his  head 
out  of  the  grass,  and  look  about  him  : he  had  not  noticed 
me  yet,  or  else  he  would  not  have  exposed  himself  so  reck- 
lessly to  my  fire.  He  rose  slowly,  and  glided  towards  the 
garden  : he  got  closfc  to  the  fence,  which  was  made  of  ten 
logs  placed  in  a zigzag  over  each  other,  and  on  the  outer- 
side  were  heaped  up  the  branches  of  the  trees  from  which 
the  wood  for  the  palisades  had  been  cut.  I had  put  this  up 
to  prevent  the  buffaloes  and  deer  from  forcing  their  way  into 
the  garden. 

The  Indian  now  stepped  close  to  the  wall  of  dry  branches, 
while  I lay  in  the  bushes  about  a hundred  yards  behind  him. 
He  stopped,  looked  into  the  garden  for  a long  time,  and 
then  round  the  wood  : he  then  stooped,  and  crept  under  the 
brushwood  up  to  the  fence,  seated  himself  cross-legged  close 
to  the  latter,  and  laid  his  rifle  across  one  of  the  logs.  While 
he  was  working  his  way  through  the  branches  and  brush- 
wood, I crept  on  all-fours  nearer  to  him,  and  remained  be- 
hind an  oak  about  forty  yards  from  him.  Just  as  I reached 
the  tree,  I broke  a thin,  dry  branch  with  my  hand  ; and  the 


152 


The  Backwoodsman. 


very  slight  sound  scarce  reached  the  savage’s  ear,  ere  he 
started  round,  and  gazed  intently  in  my  direction.  I did 
not  stir,  but  held  my  gun  firmly,  with  the  determination 
that  he  should  not  leave  the  spot  alive. 

He  looked  towards  me  for  nearly  a quarter  of  an  hour, 
still  trusting  to  the  sharpness  of  his  ears,  when  Suddenly 
one  of  my  men,  who  was  coming  down  from  the  fort  with 
two  buckets  to  fill  at  the  spring,  could  be  heard  whistling 
on  the  other  side  of  the  garden.  The  Indian  started  round, 
thrust  his  rifle  through  the  fence,  pointed  at  the  spring,  and 
knelt  down  behind  its  long  barrel.  At  the  same  instant,  I 
sprang  out  from  behind  the  oak,  raised  my  gun,  and  sent 
the  charge  of  the  right-hand  barrel  between  the  savage’s 
shoulders : he  leapt  up,  and,  while  doing  so,  I gave  him 
the  second  charge  ; after  which  he  fell  backwards  into  the 
brushwood.  I shouted  to  my  man,  who,  in  his  alarm,  was 
running  back  to  the  fort,  and  rushed  to  the  Indian,  who  was 
writhing  in  his  blood,  and  striking  around  with  hands  and 
feet.  My  comrade  hurried  through  the  garden,  and,  clam- 
bering over  the  fence,  gazed  down  at  the  shot  man  in  hor- 
ror. I explained  to  him  in  a few  words  how  accident  had 
preserved  his  life,  as  the  savage  had  been  lying  in  wait  for 
him,  and  had  his  rifle  pointed  at  him  ; and  I then  buried  my 
knife  in  the  heart  of  the  quivering  savage.  We  took  his 
rifle  and  medicine-bag,  fetched  his  horse  after  I had  re- 
loaded, and  took  it  up  to  the  fort,  where  we  fastened  it  in- 
side the  enclosure. 

I impatiently  waited  for  Tiger  to  obtain  an  explanation 
from  him,  as  I feared  lest  the  shot  man  might  be  a Dela- 
ware. The  evening  came,  and  Tiger  was  not  back  yet.  A 
thousand  suppositions,  a thousand  suspicions,  involuntarily, 
crossed  my  mind.  Could  Tiger  be  a traitor?  could  the 
Delawares  have  broken  their  long-tried  friendship  with  the 


The  Comanche  Chief. 


153 


white  men?  We  drove  our  cattle  in  earlier  than  usual,  rode 
them  down  to  water,  laid  our  weapons  ready  to  hand,  and 
prepared  to  oppose  any  possible  attack.  I went  to  the 
eastern  turret,  and  gazed  over  the  wide  prairie,  when  I sud- 
denly noticed  far  on  the  horizon  a black  point  that  seemed 
strange  to  me.  I looked  through  my  glass,  and,  to  my  great 
delight,  recognized  the  large  white  spots  of  Tiger’s  piebald. 

I now  felt  lighter  at  heart,  ran  down,  and  waited  for  him 
at  the  gate.  At  length  he  rode  up  to  me  from  the  last  hol- 
low, loaded  with  deer  and  bear  meat  and  the  hide  of  a 
small  bear,  leapt  from  his  horse,  and  heartily  shook  my 
hand.  I told  him  what  had  happened  ; and  he  listened  most 
attentively.  His  eyebrows  were  contracted,  and  his  usually 
pleasant  eyes  flashed  savagely.  He  said  nothing  but  “ Kit- 
chi  kattuh  ! ” made  me  a sign  to  enter  the  fort ; and  when  we 
reached  the  dining-room,  where  the  dead  man’s  hunting-bag 
lay,  he  cried,  “ Kitchi ! ” placed  two  fingers  of  his  right  hand 
before  his  mouth  so  that  they  seemed  to  be  emerging  from 
it,  and  repeated,  u Kitchi ! ” i.e .,  two  tongues.  He  then  led 
me  out  of  the  fort,  when  he  stopped,  and  said  to  me  that 
the  false  kitchi  had  laid  watch  for  him  in  the  garden,  and  in- 
tended to  take  his  life,  so  that  the  Delawares  might  fancy 
we  had  killed  him,  and  take  their  revenge  on  us.  It  had  in- 
deed gradually  grown  a custom  in  the  fort,  that  Tiger,  when 
he  was  at  home,  fetched  fresh  water  from  the  spring  before 
supper ; and  his  supposition  appeared  to  be  well  founded. 
Still,  the  unexpected  appearance  of  one  of  my  men  seemed 
to  have  turned  the  kitchi  from  his  original  purpose,  because 
he  was  on  the  point  of  sending  the  bullet  intended  for  Tiger 
through  the  chest  of  the  latter. 

We  soon  forgot  this  incident,  and  went  on  with  our  win- 
ter avocations  as  before. 

One  morning  the  dogs  barked  in  an  unusual  manner  ; and 


154 


The  Backwoodsman. 


one  of  my  men  ran  up  to  me,  and  told  me  that  one  of  my 
buffalo  calves,  which  I had  captured  in  the  last  summer, 
and  of  which  I possessed  eight,  had  leapt  into  the  river  be- 
cause the  dogs  were  tormenting  it. 

Just  as  we  were  taking  the  saved  buffalo  up  to  the  fort, 
the  sentry  came  to  me,  and  announced  that  five  white  men 
were  riding  down  the  river  ; upon  which  I went  to  the  turret, 
and  saw  that  the  new  arrivals  were  three  white  men,  a ne- 
gro, and  a mulatto.  About  half  an  hour  later,  the  strangers 
rode  up  to  the  fort,  and  dismounted  at  the  gate  ; while  the 
colored  men  took  their  horses,  and  unsaddled  them.  A fine- 
looking  man  of  nearly  sixty  years  of  age  advanced  to  me, 
shook  my  hand,  and  introduced  himself  to  me  as  a Mr.  Lasar 
from  Alabama,  one  of  his  young  companions  as  his  son 
John,  and  the  other  as  his  cousin  Henry,  of  the  same  name. 
The  old  gentleman  had  something  most  elegant  and  attrac- 
tive about  his  appearance,  which  evidenced  lengthened  inter- 
course with  the  higher  social  circles : over  his  high  bronzed 
forehead  shone  his  still  thick  though  silvery  hair,  while 
long  black  eyebrows  overshadowed  his  light-blue  eyes  ; and 
his  fresh  complexion  seemed  to  protest  against  his  white 
hair.  Though  fully  six  feet  high,  he  carried  himself  with 
the  strength  of  a man  of  thirty ; and  his  bright,  merry  eyes 
proved  that  his  mind  was  still  youthful.  He  was  an  old 
Spaniard  ; had  settled,  when  a young  man,  in  Alabama  ; and, 
though  the  blue  eyes  contradicted  his  origin,  it  was  mani- 
fested in  all  the  rest  of  his  countenance.  His  son  John  was 
shorter  and  lighter  built,  with  black  curling  hair,  and  very 
dark  but  pleasant  eyes,  a nice  looking  youth  of  seventeen  ; 
and  cousin  Henry,  a young  man  of  twenty  odd,  of  middle 
height,  and  narrow  between  the  shoulders,  showed  by  his 
auburn  hair  and  gray  eyes  that  his  blood  was  mixed. 

I conducted  the  strangers  to  the  parlor,  and  set  before 


The  Comanche  Chief. 


155 


them  a breakfast ; among  the  dishes  being  one  of  duck’s 
breast  in  jelly.  The  old  gentleman  was  greatly  surprised, 
and  said  that  he  had  not  expected  to  find  any  thing  at  my 
house  beyond  very  good  game  and  roasted  marrow-bones. 
When  I treated  them  to  French  wine  and  cigars,  and  they 
surveyed  the  ornaments  of  my  room,  they  expressed  the  ut- 
most surprise  at  the  amount  of  comfort  they  found ; and 
John  said  that  I had  every  thing  precisely  as  his  father  in- 
tended to  have  it  when  he  settled  here.  The  old  gentleman 
now  informed  me  of  his  intention  to  come  into  my  neigh- 
borhood, and  requested  my  advice  and  aid.  lie  had  a cot- 
ton plantation  in  Alabama  ; but  the  number  of  his  negroes 
had  increased  so  considerably,  that  he  could  not  employ 
them  all  on  his  estate,  and  must  hire  out  the  majority  at 
very  low  wages.  Land  was  too  high  in  price  there  ; so  he 
preferred  taking  up  Government  land  here,  and  .submitting 
to  the  privations  and  dangers  of  a life  on  the  border.  He 
now  proposed  to  inspect  the  land,  then  return,  and  send  on 
John  with  fifty  negroes,  so  as  to  get  a maize-crop  ready, 
while  he  would  follow  in  autumn  with  his  family  and  five 
hundred  slaves.  I was  very  glad  to  have  such  neighbors  ; 
so  I gladly  offered  him  my  services  in  showing  him  as  much 
fine  land  as  he  wanted  close  to  mine. 

My  guests  rested  for  a few  days,  and  amused  themselves 
with  inspecting  my  farm  and  arrangements,  and  making 
small  hunting-trips  in  the  vicinity,  in  which  old  Mr.  Lasar 
eagerly  joined.  It  is  true  that  he  shot  deer  and  turkeys 
with  his  large  fowling-piece  loaded  with  swan-shot,  through 
which  many  a head  escaped  him  ; and  I reproached  him  for 
doing  so,  as  I considered  this  shameful  butchery.  He  al- 
lowed his  fault,  but  said  that  no  other  weapon  was  employed 
in  shooting  where  he  came  from ; but,  when  he  came  out  to 
join  me,  lie  would  also  introduce  the  rifle. 


156 


The  Backwoodsman. 


After  my  guests  had  rested  sufficiently,  I rode  with  them 
over  to  the  Mustang  River,  passed  through  its  woods,  and 
followed  its  course  southward  to  its  junction  with  the  Rio 
Grande.  Here  we  turned  back  up  the  stream,  and  rode 
along  the  forest  to  our  morning  track,  so  that  the  strangers 
had  ample  opportunity  for  examining  the  land  on  both  sides 
of  the  river.  Mr.  Lasar  was  much  pleased,  and  at  once 
decided  on  this  land,  as  it  fully  satisfied  all  his  wishes. 
We  reached  home  at  a late  hour  ; and  Lasar  was  so  perfectly 
contented,  that  he  proposed  returning  home  at  once  ; but  I 
urged  him  to  look  at  other  land  to  the  north  of  me,  for 
which  tour  we  made  our  necessary  preparations  on  the  next 
day.  On  the  third  morning,  we  rode  up  the  Leone  to  the 
spot  where  my  border-line  crossed  it  two  miles  from  the 
fort.  From  this  point  to  the  source  of  the  river  lay  very 
fine  land  too,  although  the  woods  were  not  so  extensive  as 
lower  down  it. 

We  spent  the  night  at  the  well-head,  and  then  rode  north- 
wards to  Turkey  Creek,  in  which  tour  we  found  a great 
deal  of  land  well  adapted  for  ploughing,  although  the  small- 
er quantity  would  have  rendered  it  better  suited  for  small 
settlers.  Still  the  country  here  aroused  Mr.  Lasar’ s admi- 
ration ; and  he  declared,  that,  before  two  years  had  passed,  it 
should  be  all  occupied  by  friends  of  his  from  Alabama.  I 
reminded  him  of  the  human  skulls  and  bones,  which  I had 
shown  him  at  the  sources  of  the  l^eone,  belonging  to  settlers 
murdered  by  the  Indians,  who  had  come  from  Georgia,  and 
only  enjoyed  the  pleasures  of  a border-life  for  a few  months. 
He  said,  however,  that  so  many  families  must  arrive  simul- 
taneously as  would  hold  the  Indians  within  bounds.  For 
his  own  part,  he  decided  on  Mustang  River  ; and,  on  reach- 
ing the  fort  again,  he  rested  two  more  days  with  me,  which 
we  employed  in  talking  over  and  settling  every  thing.  On 


The  Comanche  Chief. 


157 


this  occasion,  I proposed  to  hire  of  him  twelve  negroes  whom 
he  could  send  with  his  son  ; for  I wanted  to  begin  cotton 
planting.  He  agreed  most  willingly,  as,  w'hen  he  settled, 
he  would  require  a good  many  things  of  me,  such  as  maize, 
pigs,  cows,  fowls,  tallow,  bear’s  grease,  &c.  ; and  we  could 
deduct  their  value  from  the  rent.  On  the  third  morning,  I 
accompanied  my  guests  some  distance,  and  then  rode  home 
with  the  brightest  prospects  for  the  future. 

A most  unexpected  event  brightened  my  hopes  for  the 
future  even  more.  A few  days  after  Lasar’s  departure,  a 
party  of  seven  Comanche  Indians  came  riding  up  the  river, 
armed  with  unstrung  bows,  and  no  lances.  They  rode  up 
to  the  fence  ; and  one  of  them  shouted,  “ Captain,  good 
friend  ! ” and  I went  out  to  them,  and  asked  what  they 
wanted.  One  of  them  spoke  English  very  well,  and  ap- 
peared to  me  a Mexican,  who  had  probably  been  stolen  by 
them  in  childhood,  and  had  since  lived  among  them.  He 
said  that  the  chief  of  all  the  Comanches,  Pahajuka  (the 
man  in  love),  had  sent  them  to  ask  me  whether  he  might 
come  and  make  friendship  with  me.  He  had  heard  that  I 
was  a good  friend  to  other  Indians,  and  wished  me  to  become 
his  friend  as  well.  The  message  greatly  surprised  me,  as 
hitherto,  wThen  I had  come  in  contact  with  men  of  this 
nation,  we  had  used  our  weapons.  My  first  feeling  was  a 
suspicion  that  they  wished  to  effect  by  treachery  what  they 
had  not  been  able  to  do  by  arms  : still  I would  not  entirely 
repulse  them,  and  said,  that  if  they  were  speaking  to  me 
with  one  tongue,  and  desired  my  friendship,  I would  readily 
give  it  to  them ; but,  if  they  were  double-tongued,  I would 
become  still  more  their  enemy ; and,  in  that  case,  they 
would  not  be  able  to  sleep  peacefully  in  these  parts. 

I told  them  at  the  same  time  that  I should  expect  their 
chief  on  the  next  morning : on  which  their  speaker  intimated 


158 


The  Backwoodsman. 


that  their  tribe  were  encamped  a long  way  off,  and  Paha- 
juka  had  sent  them  down  from  there  ; but,  when  the  sun 
rose  for  the  tenth  time,  he  would  be  here.  I promised  to 
wait  for  him  on  the  appointed  morning ; and  then  the  sav- 
ages rode  away,  and  soon  disappeared  behind  the  last  hill 
on  the  prairie.  Whatever  might  be  the  results  of  the  im- 
pending confereuce,  I was  resolved  to  make  every  effort  to 
produce,  if  possible,  more  pleasant  relations  between  myself 
and  the  Comanches,  as  by  far  the  greater  number  of  Indians 
who  visited  our  country  belonged  to  this  nation  ;•  and  the 
incessant  hostilities  with  them  became  the  more  annoying 
to  me,  in  proportion  as  my  cattle  and  property  became 
augmented. 

At  length  the  day  arrived  on  which  the  chief  of  the  Co- 
manches had  appointed  his  visit ; and  at  about  seven,  a.m., 
three  of  these  savages  came  up  to  the  fort  to  inform  me 
that  their  leader  was  encamped  half  an  hour’s  distance  off 
in  the  woods  of  the  Leone,  and  expected  me  there.  I asked 
Tiger’s  advice  ; and  he  advised  me  to  ride  out,  as  the  Co- 
manches meant  honestly.  I therefore  saddled,  and  rode 
(accompanied  by  Tiger,  one  of  my  colonists,  and  Trusty)  out 
to  the  Indians,  and  told  them  they  could  ride  on,  and  I 
would  follow.  We  soon  reached  the  spot  where  Pahajuka 
was  encamped ; and  I noticed,  to  my  satisfaction,  that  only 
a squaw  and  a single  man  were  seated  at  his  fire. 

I dismounted,  left  my  man  with  the  horses,  and  walked 
up  to  the  chief,  who  now  rose,  and  folded  me  in  his  arms 
twice.  Then  his  squaw  came  to  me,  and  evidenced  her 
friendship  in  the  same  way.  Pahajuka  was  a man  of  about 
sixty  years  of  age,  of  middle  height,  plump,  and  possessing 
a very  pleasant,  kindly  appearance.  He  was  entirely 
dressed  in  deer-liide ; had  very  fine  beads  round  his  neck  ; 
and  in  his  raven-black  hair  he  had  fastened  a tail  of  plaited 


The  Comanche  Chief. 


159 


buffalo-hair  five  feet  in  length,  on  which  a dozen  round 
silver  plates,  four  inches  in  width,  were  fastened.  He  wore 
this  tail  hanging  over  his  right  arm  ; and  it  seemed  to  me  as 
if  this  ornament  was  only  worn  on  solemn  occasions,  as  I 
never  saw  it  again,  though  I met  this  savage  frequently. 
The  squaw  was  a powerful,  stout,  extremely  pleasant  ma- 
tron, who  appeared  to  take  a great  interest  in  establishing 
friendly  relations  between  us.  She  was  very  talkative  ; and 
the  interpreter  could  scarce  keep  pace  with  her  tongue. 

After  the  first  explanations  why  they  desired  my  friend- 
ship, the  squaw  fetched  several  sorts  of  dried  meat  in 
leathern  bags,  spread  them  on  a buffalo-hide,  and  begged 
me  to  take  the  meal  of  friendship  with  them.  Tiger,  too, 
sat  down  ; and  my  other  companion  was  obliged  to  do  the 
same.  It  tasted  very  poor  to  us,  whose  tongues  were 
spoiled  by  the  culinary  art ; still  we  did  our  best,  and  the 
same  with  the  pipe,  which  Pahajuka  sent  round  afterwards. 
When  these  forms  had  been  gone  through,  the  old  squaw 
packed  up  her  traps  again  on  her  mule,  and  mounted  it, 
while  the  chief  seated  himself  on  a similar  animal,  which 
was  of  very  rare  beauty. 

We  now  rode,  followed  by  the  Indians,  to  the  fort,  where 
the  latter  camped  outside,,  while  Pahajuka  and  his  squaw 
sat  down  in  our  parlor.  I had  coffee  and  pastry  served  up 
to  them,  both  of  which  it  seemed  they  had  taken  before  ; 
and  they  disposed  of  them  heartily.  Then  I gave  them 
both  a pipe  and  tobacco  ; and  then  the  conversation  began, 
in  which  the  interpreter’s  services  were  greatly  called  upon. 
They  told  me,  that,  before  I came  into  these  parts,  the  Co- 
manches  had  always  been  able  to  sleep  here  quietly,  and  their 
children  and  cattle  had  grown  fat ; but,  since  I had  been 
here,  their  hearts  had  always  beaten  with  terror,  and  they 
were  unable  to  sleep  at  their  fire  at  night.  They  now 


160 


The  Backwoodsman . 


wished  to  make  peace  with  me,  and,  when  they  came  to 
me,  carry  their  weapons  into  my  house,  and  fold  their 
arms,  so  that  their  cattle  might  graze  in  peace,  and  their 
children  grow  fat. 

My  guests  remained  three  days  with  me  ; after  which  I 
dismissed  them  with  numerous  trifling  presents,  consisting 
of  articles  of  clothing,  colored  handkerchiefs,  tobacco,  a 
couple  of  blankets,  small  hand-glasses,  &c.  I accompanied 
them  on  their  first  day’s  journey,  slept  with  them  that  night, 
and  then  took  leave  with  promises  of  a speedy  meeting. 
Afterwards  they  visited  me  regularly  several  times  a year ; 
and,  as  they  had  predicted,  all  the  tribes  of  their  nation 
came  in  turn  to  make  peace  with  me ; and  their  example 
was  followed  by  others,  such  as  the  Mescaleros,  Kioways, 
Shawnees,  &c. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


THE  NEW  COLONISTS. 

A few  months  had  passed  since  my  Alabama  friends  left 
me ; and  I had  heard  nothing  more  of  them,  when,  one 
morning,  the  watchman  told  me,  with  great  joy,  that  a long 
train  of  men,  draught  cattle,  and  carts,  was  coming  down 
the  river.  I soon  recognized  through  my  glass  young  La- 
sar  and  his  cousin  Henry,  surrounded  by  a large  number  of 
negroes.  The  train  moved  very  slowly  onwards,  and  did 
not  stop  before  the  fort  for  some  hours,  when  I greeted  the 
new-comers  most  heartily.  John  had  sixty  odd  strong 
negroes  with  him,*  twelve  of  whom  were  intended  for  me  ; 
and  brought  stores  and  tools  with  him  on  five  large  wag- 
ons, each  drawn  by  six  oxen.  He  had  made  the  journey 
by  steamer,  via  New  Orleans,  and  partly  on  the  Rio  Grande. 
When  they  landed,  he  brought  the  draught  cattle,  and  had 
reached  me  without  any  accident.  I kept  them  a few  days 
with  me  to  let  them  rest,  and  then  proceeded  with  them 
across  to  Mustang  River,  where  they  camped  on  the  ground 
selected  by  Mr.  Lasar. 

They  chose  for  their  maize-field  a spot  in  the  advance 
woods  where  the  soil  was  rich  and  loose  ; and  the  trouble 
of  blazing  the  trees  and  ploughing  round  them  was  saved. 
The  negroes  advanced  in  their  job  with  almost  incredible 
rapidity ; and,  in  a short  time,  a field  of  some  hundred 
acres  was  cleared,  ploughed,  and  fenced. 

My  life  from  this  time  underwent  a change.  I had 
11  161 


162 


The  Bachroodsman . 


twelve  negroes  at  my  disposal,  and  must  so  employ  them  as 
not  only  to  get  their  hire  out  of  them,  but  also  attain  the 
object  for  which  I had  hired  them  ; namely,  making  a profit. 

Summer  arrived  with  a rich  harvest,  and  with  it  again 
fresh,  uninterrupted  toil.  My  neighbors  had  also  been  re- 
warded for  their  exertions  by  an  immense  maize-crop,  and 
employed  the  late  summer  in  building  larger  houses  for  the 
reception  of  Tasar  and  his  family.  Strangers  came  to 
prospect  the  land  in  our  neighborhood ; and  all  went  away 
contented,  with  an  assurance  that  they  would  soon  settle 
here. 

In  autumn,  Mr.  Lasar  arrived  with  his  wife,  two  daugh- 
ters, and  a younger  son,  and  brought  with  him  about  five 
hundred  negroes,  a number  of  fine  horses  and  splendid  cat- 
tle. Our  social  circumstances  thus  advanced  a stage.  This 
highly  educated  and  amiable  family  offered  me  pleasures 
which  appeared  to  me  quite  new  and  attractive  ; and  I did 
not  reflect  that  I had  bidden  farewell  to  them  some  few 
years  back  through  sheer  weariness.  The  deer-hide  dress 
was  now  frequently  changed  for  the  costume  of  former 
days,  the  razors  looked  up,  an  old  negres3  hired  who  knew 
how  to  wash  and  iron  ; and  imperceptibly  many  long-forgot- 
ten follies  and  considerations  crept  into  our  simple,  natural 
life.  Civilization,  however,  had  set  its  foot  in  our  paradise 
once  for  all ; and  nothing  was  able  to  oppose  its  rapid  ad- 
vance. 

The  winter  brought  several  large  planters  to  Mustang 
River,  above  Lasaris  estate  ; and  the  land  towards  the  north- 
ern rivers  wa3  occupied  by  others,  while  to  the  south  of  us 
the  settlements  of  the  Rio  Grande  also  increased. 

The  other  side  of  the  Rio  Grande  was  less  changed  ; and 
game  will  be  protected  there  for  many  years  to  come  by 
the  ins urmountable  mountains  that  surround  the  valleys; 


The  New  Colonists. 


163 


but  it  required  a much  greater  outlay  of  time  to  seek  the 
game  there  which  formerly  auimated  the  immediate  vicinity 
of  my  residence.  Tiger  was  beginning  to  grow  impatient, 
and  often  said  to  me  that  the  game  in  our  vicinity  had  now 
got  too  many  eyes  and  feet,  and  he  would  go  northwards  to 
the  great  mountains  before  spring  arrived.  For  a long  time 
past,  I had  been  desirous  of  passing  through  the  Rocky 
Mountains  ; but  never  was  the  yearning  greater  to  throw 
myself  once  more  into  the  arms  of  virgin  Nature  than  at 
this  moment,  when  civilization  drew  me  back  by  force  into 
its  sphere.  In  spite  of  the  repeated  representations  which 
reason  and  my  material  interests  urged  against  such  an 
undertaking,  I resolved  to  start  in  February  for  these  un- 
known countries.  One  of  my  men  was  an  excellent  farmer, 
and  in  every  way  deserving  of  my  entire  confidence,  so  that 
I could  with  safety  place  the  management  of  my  settlement 
in  his  hands  ; while  one  of  the  other  two,  of  the  name  of 
Konigstein,  insisted  on  accompanying  me  ; to  which  I read- 
ily assented,  as  he  had  given  me  a thousand  proofs  of  his 
fidelity  and  devotedness.  With  these  qualities,  so  valuable 
for  me,  he  united  a determination  and  courage  which  noth- 
ing could  daunt ; and  I have  often  seen  him  in  the  most  des- 
perate circumstances  laughingly  defy  the  danger.  John 
Lasar  was  enthusiastic  when  I told  him  of  my  intention  : 
he  earnestly  desired  to  accompany  me,  and  begged  me  to 
procure  his  father’s  consent.  The  enterprise  appeared  to 
the  old  gentleman  rather  daring,  and  he  made  all  pos- 
sible objections  ; but  he  at  last  yielded  to  our  entreaties, 
and  equipped  his  son  with  a brace  of  splendid  revolvers, 
while  I supplied  him  with  one  of  my  double-barrelled  guns. 
Konigstein  was  armed  with  a double  rifle,  but  also  carried 
in  a leathern  sheath  fastened  to  his  saddle  a four-barrelled 
gun,  two  pistols  in  his  belt,  and  two  in  his  holsters. 


164 


The  Backwoodsman. 


While  we  were  engaged  in  making  our  preparations  for 
the  great  journey,  several  of  Lasar’ s friends  arrived  from 
Alabama ; among  them  being  two  young  men,  a Mr.  Mac- 
Donald and  a Mr.  Clifton,  who  came  to  me  with  John,  and 
earnestly  asked  my  leave  to  form  the  party.  I was  glad  to 
have  them,  as  their  exterior  was  very  pleasing,  and  our 
number  was  still  small  for  a journey  in  which  thousands  of 
dangers  and  fatigues  awaited  us.  We  worked  hard  at  get- 
ting ready,  in  which  John’s  elder  sister  materially  assisted 
us.  New  suits  of  deer-hide  were  made,  two  small  tents 
prepared,  and  a large  sheet  varnished  to  make  it  water-tight, 
and  thus  protect  our  baggage  from  the  rain.  Then  biscuits 
were  baked ; coffee,  salt,  pepper,  and  sugar  stamped  into 
bladders  ; a small  cask  filled  with  cognac,  cartridges  made, 
and  our  saddlery  inspected  : in  short,  there  were  a thousand 
matters  to  attend  to  ; and  thus  the  last  days  of  January 
found  us  with  all  hands  full  of  work  for  our  expedition, 
while  we  had  appointed  February  first  for  the  start. 

On  the  last  day  of  January,  there  was  a grand  review  in 
front  of  the  fort,  where  we  appeared  fully  equipped  for  a 
start,  in  order  to  inspect  everything,  and  discover  anything 
that  might  still  be  wanting. 

Pleased,  and  full  of  enthusiasm  about  our  enterprise,  we 
spent  the  day  ; and,  on  saying  good-by  in  the  evening,  Lasar 
promised  to  accompany  us  with  his  family,  and  spend  the 
first  night  of  o\ir  camp-life  with  us.  The  next  morning 
found  us  busied  at  an  early  hour  in  arranging  our  baggage, 
and  d’viding  it  among  our  cattle. 

We  had  almost  completed  our  preparations  when  we  saw 
a long  train  of  riders  coming  from  Mustang  River  over  the 
prairie,  led  by  a gentleman  on  a powerful  dapple-gray,  and 
a lady  on  a black  horse.  They  were  our  friends  from  the 
Mustang : at  their  head  rode  old  Mr.  Lasar  on  a fine  Vir- 


The  New  Colonists. 


105 


ginian  thorough-bred ; and  by  his  side  pranced  a coal-black 
stallion,  who  did  honor  to  his  pure  Andulasian  descent  from 
his  muzzle  to  the  tip  of  his  flying  tail,  and,  proud  of  the 
load  he  carried  on  his  back,  bowed  his  strength  before  the 
delicate  hand  which  guided  him  by  a dazzlingly  white 
bridle.  Julia,  Lasar’s  eldest  daughter,  was  the  mistress 
of  this  splendid  animal.  Her  tall,  graceful  form,  her  bril- 
liant black  locks  falling  under  her  tall  hat,  her  dark  eyes 
overshadowed  by  long  lashes,  and  the  long  white  feather 
which  waved  in  her  hat,  reminded  me  of  her  noble  ancestry 
in  the  days  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella.  Behind  them  rode 
John  Lasar  by  his  mother’s  side  on  a chestnut  mare  of 
pure  Arab  blood  ; then  came  the  youngest  daughter  and  the 
youngest  son,  MacDonald  and  Clifton,  several  neighbors 
from  the  Mustang,  and  lastly  loaded  pack-horses,  with  a 
number  of  mules.  The  caravan  came  over  the  last  height 
to  the  fort,  and  was  joyfully  welcomed  by  us.  A cup 
carved  out  of  a buffalo-horn,  filled  with  Sauterne,  was 
handed  to  the  guests  on  horseback,  and  then  also  emptied 
by  us  to  the  toast  of  a pleasant  journey  and  fortunate  re- 
turn ; and  we  at  once  took  leave  of  home  for  an  indefinite 
period. 

The  end  of  our  journey,  as  we  had  temporarily  arranged, 
was  the  highest  yet  known  point  on  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
the  Bighorn,  which  is  situated  in  the  forty-second  degree  of 
latitude,  and  to  which  we  had  a distance  of  about  eight 
hundred  miles  to  ride.  And  so  we  turned  our  horses  away 
from  home  towards  these  unknown  regions. 

We  had  chosen  Turkey  Creek  as  our  halting-place,  and 
rode  at  a quick  pace  in  order  to  reach  our  camping-ground 
by  daylight.  At  noon  we  made  a short  halt  at  an  affluent 
of  the  Leone,  to  give  our  ladies  time  to  dine,  and  at  the 
same  time  allow  our  horses  to  graze.  During  this  short 


166 


The  Backwoodsman. 


delay,  the  buffalo-horn,  filled  with  wine,  was  passed  round, 
and  was  accompanied  by  singing  and  merriment.  No  one 
appeared  to  reflect  that  the  next  morning  would  bring  a 
parting  more  or  less  hard  for  us  all ; but  all  yielded  to  their 
gay  humor  without  a check.  At  about  one  o’clock,  we  held 
the  ladies’  stirrups  ; helped  them  on  their  horses  again  ; and, 
ere  long,  the  whole  party  were  moving  northward.  The 
short  rest  had  done  the  cattle  good  ; and  they  hastened  in  a 
quick  amble  across  the  prairie,  which  was  already  begin- 
ning to  be  adorned  with  its  spring  beauty. 

While  riding  through  a narrow  coppice,  we  suddenly  saw 
before  us,  at  no  great  distance,  a herd  of  grazing  buffaloes, 
which,  for  a moment,  gazed  at  us  in  astonishment,  and  did  not 
appear  to  have  formed  a decision  as  to  whether  they  should 
bolt,  or  stand  an  attack.  A loud  hunting-shout  ran  along 
our  ranks  ; and  I saw  on  all  sides  pistols  and  revolvers  being 
torn  from  the  belts.  In  vain  did  I strive  to  master  the  en- 
thusiasm of  my  comrades,  and  hold  them  back  by  the  ob- 
servation that  we  were  heavily  loaded,  were  not  hunting, 
but  commencing  a long  journey,  in  which  we  must  spare 
the  strength  o^  our  horses.  Away  the  cavalry  flew  after 
the  piebald.  I could  hardly  hold  back  my  impetuous  steed 
by  the  side  of  Miss  Julia’s  black,  whom  the  very  sharp  bit 
alone  prevented  from  bolting,  till  the  lady  uttered  a wish  to 
follow  the  chase,  as  these  were  the  first  buffaloes  she  had 
seen.  Her  younger  sister  joined  her  ; and  thus  only  Lasar 
and  his  wife,  the  negroes  and  pack-animals,  remained  behind. 

On  flew  the  noble  black  stallion,  guided  by  the  steady 
hand  of  his  young  mistress,  from  whose  hat  the  white 
feather  floated,  while  the  ends  of  the  long  red  scarf  tied 
round  her  riding-habit  fluttered  behind  her.  I held  Czar  in 
a little,  so  as  not  to  excite  the  black  horse  too  much ; while 
Julia’s  sister’s  pony  followed  us  at  some  distance,  and  be- 


The  New  Colonists. 


107 


Hind  it  honest,  heavily  loaded  Jack  came  panting,  whom  the 
negroes  had  been  unable  to  keep  in  the  ranks  of  the  pack- 
cattle.  We  were  soon  close  to  the  flying  herd,  whose  thun- 
dering hoofs  drowned  the  sound  of  my  comrades’  pistols. 
We  dashed  past  an  enormous  buffalo,  which  had  sunk,  seri- 
ously wounded,  with  its  hind-quarters  on  the  ground,  and, 
standing  on  its  huge  fore-legs,  was  holding  its  broad  shaggy 
head  towards  us.  Immediately  after,  we  saw  another  quit 
the  ranks  in  front  of  us,  and  dash  after  John,  who  was  fly- 
ing before  it  on  his  fast  mare.  I shouted  to  Julia  to  check 
her  horse,  in  which  she  succeeded  after  some  efforts  ; and 
we  now  rode  up  to  the  wounded  buffalo,  which,  with  head 
down,  was  preparing  for  action.  We  stopped  about  fifty 
yards  from  it ; when  John,  who  saw  that  I had  raised  my 
rifle,  shouted  to  me  not  to  fire,  as  he  wished  to  kill  the  ani- 
mal himself.  He  fired;  and  the  buffalo  rolled  over  in  a 
crashing  fall.  Our  comrades  also  collected  in  the  distance 
round  one  of  the  animals,  which,  being  wounded,  stood  at 
bay,  and  was  soon  killed.  Then  they  rode  back  with  shouts 
of  triumph,  and  stopped  with  us  till  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lasar 
came  up.  The  ladies  were  delighted  with  the  savage 
though  splendid  scene,  and  confessed  that  hunting  possessed 
an  attraction  which  might  easily  render  a man  passionately 
fond  of  it.  We  left  the  negroes  behind  with  a few  pack- 
animals  to  take  the  hides  and  best  meat  from  the  killed 
buffaloes,  then  ordered  them  to  follow  our  trail,  and  rode  on 
to  the  camping-ground  on  Turkey  Creek,  which  we  reached 
at  sunset. 

Lasar’s  spacious  marquee  was  quickly  put  up,  and  the 
long  pennants  hoisted  over  it : in  front  of  this  tent  a large 
fire  was  lit,  and  buffalo-hides  spread  round  it,  on  which  the 
ladies  reclined.  We  attended  to  the  horses,  carried  our 
baggage  to  other  fires  at  which  we  intended  to  spend  the 


168 


The  Backwoodsman. 


night,  and  then  gradually  collected  in  front  of  Lasar’s  tent, 
where  the  coffee  was  already  boiling,  and  various  kettles  for 
supper  were  standing  in  the  ashes.  The  negroes,  too,  soon 
rode  up  with  heavily  loaded  cattle  ; and  each  of  us  put  some 
of  the  meat  on  a spit  in  front  of  the  fire,  or  laid  a marrow- 
bone to  roast.  The  night  was  magnificent : not  a breath 
of  air  stirred  the  dark  leaves  of  the  primeval  evergreen  live- 
oaks,  which  spread  out  their  long  horizontal  branches  over 
our  heads.  Between  them,  the  moon,  in  its  first  quarter, 
spread  its  silvery  light  over  us ; and  the  sky  was  covered 
with  twinkling  stars.  In  the  dark  distance,  we  could  hear 
the  notes  of  nocturnal  birds  of  passage  (which  proved  to  us, 
by  their  northward  flight,  that  the  winter  there  could  no 
longer  be  very  severe),  till  these  notes  were  lost  in  the  rus- 
tling of  the  adjacent  stream,  which  filled  up  every  pause  in 
our  animated  conversation. 

We  sat  for  a long  time  round  the  brightly  burning  fire, 
till  the  ladies  retired  inside  the  tent ; and  we  proceeded  to 
our  several  fires,  and  wrapped  ourselves  in  our  buffalo-robes. 
Trusty  alone  still  sat  with  his  nose  in  the  air  when  my  eyes 
closed ; and  it  was  his  voice  woke  me,  when  one  of  Lasar’s 
negroes  rose.  I also  leaped  up,  led  Czar  — though  he  felt 
no  particular  inclination  to  rise  — into  the  grass,  took  my 
rifle,  and  went  to  the  river,  where  I could  hear  the  gobbling 
of  the  turkeys.  It  was  still  too  dark  to  shoot  with  certainty, 
when  I got  under  the  lofty  pecan-nut  trees  which  stood  on 
its  banks.  On  their  highest  branches  the  birds  were  sitting, 
and  saluting  the  dawn.  I listened  to  them  for  a long  time 
ere  I raised  my  rifle,  and  sent  a bullet  through  one  of  them. 
It  fell  from  branch  to  branch,  and  startled  the  others,  which 
flew  off  noisily ; while  the  hundreds  standing  ou  the  trees 
around  timidly  thrust  out  their  long  necks,  but  would  not 
leave  their  night-quarters. 


The  New  Colonists. 


169 


The  cock  had  fallen  into  the  river,  and  was  flapping  its 
wings  violently  in  the  quiet  waters  ; so  I cut  a stick  with  a 
hook  in  order  to  pull  it  in.  I had  scarce  secured  it,  ere  a 
platoon-fire  burst  forth  all  round  me  from  my  comrades* 
rifles,  whom  my  shot  had  aroused  from  sleep  ; and  I now 
ran  up  to  take  part  in  the  morning’s  sport.  They  produced  a 
terrible  slaughter  among  the  poor  foolish  birds  ; and  each  of 
them  carried  at  least  two  to  camp.  I went  down  the  river  a 
little  way,  however,  to  have  a bath.  When  I returned,  all 
were  busy,  and  seeking  by  occupation  to  avoid  beginning  a 
conversation  which  must  necessarily  hinge  on  the  approach- 
ing leave-taking.  The  ladies  helped  in  getting  breakfast 
ready,  the  young  men  packed  up  their  traps,  the  negroes 
struck  the  tent  and  rolled  it  up,  and  old  Mr.  Lasar  went 
from  one  to  the  other  offering  his  advice.  At  length  noth- 
ing more  was  left  but  to  eat  breakfast,  saddle  the  horses, 
and  say  good-by.  When  all  were  mounted,  we  turned  our 
horses  towards  the  river,  waving  a farewell  to  our  friends 
as  long  as  we  could  see  them. 

We  soon  passed  through  the  wood  on  to  the  prairie,  which 
ran  along  its  north  side  ; and  halted  to  have  a last  inspection 
of  our  small  corps.  I,  who  had  been  elected  captain,  now 
assumed  my  duties,  as  from  this  moment  our  journey  really 
began.  I examined  how  the  goods  were  divided  among  the 
mules  (of  which  animals  two  others  accompanied  us,  besides 
Jack,  Sam,  and  Lizzy,  whom  John  Lasar  had  supplied); 
for  it  is  important  on  such  a journey  to  take  the  greatest 
care  that  the  animals  are  not  galled  by  the  saddles  or  bag- 
gage. 

* When  I had  convinced  myself  that  every  thing  waS  in 
order,  I called  my  party’s  attention  to  the  fact,  that  strict 
obedience  to  my  regulations  was  indispensably  necessary 
for  our  common  safety.  Tiger  was  intrusted  with  the 


170 


The  Backwoodsman. 


guidance,  and  always  rode  about  a hundred  yards  ahead ; 
while  one  of  us  formed  the  rear-guard  by  the  mules.  I had 
with  Tiger  a long  consultation  as  to  the  route  we  should  fol- 
low ; and,  while  I proposed  to  keep  more  to  the  north-west, 
he  insisted  on  a due  north  direction.  I was  of  opinion  that 
the  lowest  passage  to  the  north  would  be  found  at  the  spot 
where  the  Rio-Grande  Mountains  sloped  down  to  the  east 
and  joined  the  San-Saba  Mountains ; while,  on  the  other 
hand,  Tiger  asserted  that  the  mountain-chain  could  be 
passed  most  easily  due  north,  near  the  sources  of  the  Rio 
Colorado. 

The  weather  was  glorious,  and  the  sun  poured  down  its 
cheering  beams  upon  us  from  a clear  sky.  With  jokes  and 
anecdotes,  our  hearts  filled  with  expectation  of  the  marvels 
that  lay  before  us,  we  trotted  after  the  quick-footed  piebald, 
who  appeared  as  pleased  as  his  master  to  leave  the  civiliza- 
tion of  the  pale-faces  behind  him. 

Four  fine  days  we  passed  over  these  extensive  plains, 
from  whose  lap  higher  and  steeper  hills  gradually  rise,  until 
the  latter  form  into  a chain,  and  impart  to  the  landscape  the 
character  of  mountainous  scenery.  We  were  among  the 
spurs  of  the  San-Saba  Mountains,  which  do  not  run  so  far 
south  hero  as  they  do  farther  west ; and  everywhere  found 
water  for  ourselves,  and  provender  for  our  cattle.  But  now 
the  stone-covered  hills  gradually  became  higher  and  the  val- 
leys narrower : we  frequently  crossed  large  ranges  of  table- 
land, on  which  the  mosquito-grass  grows  scantily ; and,  as 
this  is  the  only  sort  that  remains  green  in  winter,  we  could 
not  let  any  opportunity  slip  to  feed  our  cattle  when  we  came 
across  good  pasturage.  We  need  not  be  so  anxious  about 
w’ater,  as  nearly  all  the  valleys  between  these  mountains  are 
supplied  with  it  in  winter. 


A 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

A BOLD  TOUR. 

We  had  been  going  for  several  days  through  the  moun- 
tains with  considerable  difficulty,  when  one  afternooD  we 
reached  a splendid  pasturage. 

We  resolved  to  remain  here  till  the  next  day,  because 
both  our  horses  and  ourselves  required  rest.  My  comrades 
wished  to  obtain  permission  to  go  out  hunting,  as  Tiger  had 
already  done  so  without  asking  my  leave  ; for  he  paid  little 
heed  to  our  laws.  John  Lasar  and  Mac,  as  we  called  Mac- 
Donnell  for  the  sake  of  shortness,  went  off  in  different  direc- 
tions. The  former  followed  the  spring  which  joined  a stream 
about  a mile  from  us,  whose  banks  were  covered  with  a dense 
undergrowth,  while  Mac  went  north  into  the  hills.  The 
rest  of  us  remained  in  camp.  Shortly  before  sunset,  Mac 
returned,  told  us  he  had  shot  a large  deer  and  two  turkeys 
close  at  hand,  put  a pack-saddle  on  Sam,  and  went  with 
Antonio  to  fetch  the  game.  He  had  scarce  left  ere  Tiger 
came  in,  and  triumphantly  informed  us  that  he  had  killed  a 
big  bear  in  its  lair,  and  we  must  go  and  fetch  it  in  the 
morning ; for  it  was  dark  when  Mac  and  Antonio  returned 
with  the  game,  and  John  had  not  turned  up  yet,  which  ren- 
dered us  rather  anxious.  Still  I had  heard  him  fire  several 
times,  so  he  could  not  be  far  off ; but  I was  afraid  that  an 
accident  had  happened  to  him,  as  it  was  now  getting  on  for 
nine  o’clock.  We  repeatedly  fired  our  guns  ; and,  though 

171 


172 


The  Backwoodsman. 


it  was  so  late,  Tiger  went  down  the  stream  and  raised  his 
hunting-yell,  but  received  no  reply.  At  night  it  was  impos- 
sible to  follow  his  trail,  so  we  lay  down  to  sleep ; but  at 
daybreak  we  swallowed  our  breakfast  and  prepared  to  go  in 
search  of  John.  I took  Tiger  and  Mac  with  me,  and  told 
Antonio  to  follow  us  on  Jack.  Trusty  trotted  ahead  ; and 
we  had  not  gone  many  hundred  yards  from  camp  when 
John  came  riding  down  between  the  hills.  We  were  very 
anxious  to  learn  what  had  caused  him  to  spend  the  night 
away ; and  he  now  told  us  that  he  had  got  among  a herd  of 
peccaries  in  the  wood,  and,  after  shooting  one  of  these  ani- 
mals, was  compelled  to  seek  shelter  in  a tree  which  they*  in- 
vested. Although  he  shot  several  of  them,  they  did  not 
retreat,  and  hence  he  was  obliged  to  wait  for  daybreak. 
Of  course,  he  had  passed  the  night  in  the  cold,  shelterless  ; 
and  was  now  very  anxious  for  rest.  He  rolled  himself  in 
his  buffalo-robe,  while  I,  with  Tiger,  Antonio,  and  Mac, 
left  camp  in  order  to  fetch  the  bear.  We  took  Jack  and 
Lizzy  with  us  to  carry  ropes  and  an  axe. 

We  ascended  the  hills  on  the  east  for  about  half  an  hour, 
till  Tiger  went  round  a lofty  rock,  and  showed  us  a small 
round  opening  about  six  feet  above  the  spot  where  we  were 
standing.  Tiger  crept  into  the  hole  with  a lasso  to  noose 
the  bear’s  throat.  He  soon  came  out  again  ; and  we  all 
three  tried,  but  in  vain,  to  drag  it  out  with  the  rope.  We 
harnessed  Jack  in  front,  and  Tiger  crept  in  again  to  the 
bear  to  push.  Now  matters  went  better,  and  the  black  mon- 
ster soon  appeared  in  the  opening,  and  rolled  down  the  little 
slope  to  us.  Jack  and  Lizzy,  startled  at  the  sudden  appari- 
tion, leapt  on  one  side,  but  were  soon  pacified ; and  we  be- 
gan skinning  and  breaking  up  the  animal.  I was  anxious 
to  have  a look  at  the  interior  of  its  abode,  and  crawled  into 
the  entrance,  which  was  at  first  very  narrow,  but  then  wi- 


A Bold  Tour. 


173 


dened,  and  at  length  became  two  walls  leaning  together  at 
the  top,  but  about  eight  feet  apart  at  the  bottom.  The  floor 
of  the  cave  was  covered  with  cedar-branches,  on  which  the 
bear  reposed.  I lighted  a wax-taper,  and  was  thus  enabled 
to  examine  the  cave  narrowly.  Tiger  had  crept  up  to  the 
bear  with  a lighted  wisp  of  grass  in  his  hand,  shot  it  in  the 
left  eye,  and  killed  it  on  the  spot. 

We  packed  the  best  of  the  meat  and  fat,  as  well  as  the 
skin,  on  our  mules,  and  returned  to  camp,  where  we  arrived 
at  about  ten  o’clock.  We  packed  up,  and  were  under  way 
again  by  two,  p.m.,  following  Tiger,  who  led  us  through  the 
m<iuntain-passes,  which  here  became  much  steeper.  We 
rode  nearly  the  whole  day  up  hill,  and  only  at  intervals 
came  to  small  table-lands,  on  which  our  cattle  rested  for  a 
while. 

After  a tiring  ride  the  sun  began  to  decline,  and  illumined 
the  red  bare  granite  mountains  that  now  rose  before  us,  and 
which  we  could  still  have  reached ; but  as  we  found  grass 
and  water  here,  and  our  cattle  longed  for  rest,  we  halted, 
and  made  our  camp.  We  were  all  hungry  and  tired,  and 
hence  enjoyed  the  capital  bear-ineat,  and  stretched  ourselves 
before  the  fire  in  our  buffalo-robes,  where  we  awaited  the 
morning  without  any  disturbance.  Refreshed  and  strength- 
ened, we  gazed  down  from  our  elevation  at  the  dense  clouds 
which  filled  the  valleys  below  us,  while  the  dark  sky  in  the 
east  over  the  mountains  continually  became  redder,  until  all 
at  once  the  sun  appeared  like  a burning  ball  over  the  distant 
misty  blue  range  of  hills. 

We  had,  for  a long  time,  been  enjoying  this  strange 
scene,  and  were  on  the  point  of  going  down  to  the  rocky 
valley,  when  a loud  yelling  and  barking  was  heard  on  our 
right,  beneath  us,  which  rang  through  the  valley,  as  if 
raised  by  a thousand  animals.  It  rapidly  drew  nearer  ; and, 


174 


The  Backwoodsman. 


on  looking  in  the  direction  of  the  sound,  we  saw,  at  the  foot 
of  the  precipice  on  which  we  were  standing,  a foam-covered 
old  buffalo  dash-past  with  a pack  of  about  fifty  white  wolves 
at  its  heels.  The  old  fellow  seemed  very  tired,  and  with 
flying  mane  raised  its  weary  feet  in  its  gallop,  spurred  on 
by  the  yells  of  its  blood-thirsty  pursuers.  It  soon  disap- 
peared with  its  tormentors  round  the  rock,  and  far  into  the 
valley  we  heard  the  wild  chase ; but  certainly  the  hunted 
brute  eventually  fell  a prey  to  the  furious  band.  It  is  only 
at  this  season  that  the  white  wolves  collect  in  large  packs, 
when  they  make  very  daring  attacks  on  the  largest  animals, 
and  even  man  ; and  many  a Western  hunter  has  before  this 
fallen  their  victim. 

We  rode  down  into  the  valley,  following  a very  deeply 
trodden  buffalo-path,  which  ran  between  the  blocks  of  gran- 
ite, some  of  which  were  as  tall  as  a house,  and  at  noon 
reached  a small  stream  in  its  centre,  which  ran  westward. 

Our  horses  had  here  excellent  grazing-grounds,  which  are 
much  larger  than  they  had  appeared  to  us  from  the  moun- 
tains ; and  as  we  did  not  wish  to  hasten  our  journey  and 
reach  the  north  too  soon,  where  the  vegetation  was  still  * 
dead,  we  resolved  to  rest  here  for  a few  days.  Still,  as  the 
stream  might  perhaps  swell  rapidly,  we  thought  it  better  to 
pass  it,  and  camp  higher  up.  It  was  about  fifty  yards  wide, 
and  rather  rapid ; and  the  buffalo-path  on  which  we  were 
went  down  into  it  at  such  a pitch,  that  it  was  difficult  to 
convey  our  traps  across.  Tiger  and  I,  consequently,  went 
up  the  stream  in  search  of  a spot  easier  of  access. 

About  a mile  farther  on,  we  came  to  a buffalo-path,  so 
deeply  trodden  in  the  bank,  that  it  led  with  a lower  pitch  to 
the  water,  while  on  the  other  side  the  bank  was  low,  and 
the  stream  shallow : we  therefore  hurried  back  to  camp, 
and  marched  up  the  river  with  our  baggage. 


A Bold  Tour. 


175 


For  three  days  we  rested  our  horses  here,  uid  amused 
ourselves  with  fishing  and  hunting,  for  which  the  valley 
afforded  every  opportunity,  as  all  sorts  of  game  swarmed, 
and  the  covered  ground  enabled  the  hunter  to  approach  it. 

On  the  morning  we  had  appointed  for  our  departure,  1 
was  awakened  by  the  yell  of  a jaguar.  I sprang  up,  and  % 
heard  it  again  at  no  great  distance  from  our  camp.  Our 
fire  was  rather  low,  and  hence  it  had  ventured  rather  near- 
er to  us  ; and  our  cattle  had  probably  aroused  its  appetite  for 
blood.  I made  Tiger  a sign  to  go  with  me,  took  my  rifle, 
and  crawled,  with  Trusty  at  my  heels,  in  the  direction 
whence  I had  heard  the  jaguar.  The  grass  was  very  damp, 
so  that  we  could  creep  on  without  making  the  slightest 
noise.  We  stopped  and  listened.  I fancied  I had  heard 
the  puffing  sound  I had  previously  noticed  with  these  ani- 
mals, and  which,  I believe,  is  produced  by  their  blowing 
out  the  dew  which  impedes  their  organs  of  scent.  I heard 
it  again,  and  not  very  far  off,  when  suddenly  the  sharp, 
snapping  yelp  was  raised  close  before  us.  I hurried  up 
some  rocks,  and  saw  the  huge  creature  standing  on  a small 
clearing  about  thirty  yards  from  me.  The-  grass  on  which 
it  was  standing  was  still  rather  dark  ; and  only  the  highest 
haulms  displayed  heavy  drops  of  dew,  while  the  breaking 
dawn  was  reflected  in  the  brute’s  smooth,  yellow-black,  spot- 
ted body.  I had  fallen  on  one  knee  on  the  grass,  when 
the  royal  brute  again  raised  its  half-open  throat,  and  uttered 
its  murderous  cry,  accompanied  by  a blast  of  its  hot  breath, 
which  rose  like  a strip  of  mist  in  the  cold  breeze.  It  stood 
motionless.  I rested  my  arm,  that  held  the  rifle,  on  my 
knee  ; and  every  thing  was  so  still,  that  I could  distinctly 
hear  my  heart  beat.  I now  fired  ; and,  with  an  awful  roar, 
the  brute  first  rose  straight  in  the  air,  then  turned  over,  and 
writhed  in  the  grass.  I had  shot  it  near  the  heart,  and  in 


Tke  BaaxojdsntaH. 


a few  minutes  it  was  quite  dead.  Tiger  was  greatly  de- 
lighted with  the  splendid  skin,  which  he  stripped  off  the  brute 
with  extraordinary  skill,  and  left  the  huge  daws  on  it. 

At  about  ten  o’clock  we  were  ready  to  start,  and  rode 
through  a narrow  gorge  towards  the  hill  ahead  of  us.  which 
soon  brought  us  to  a wide  plateau,  on  which  we  and  our 
horses  were  greatly  troubled  by  the  sun,  as  the  breeze  was 
very  slight.  For  several  days,  we  proceeded  without  any 
great  difficulty  through  the  mountains,  which  constantly 
surprised  us  both  on  the  heights  and  in  the  valleys  with  the 
most  beautiful  landscapes. 

The  farther  we  went  from  the  river,  the  le^s  steep  the 
mountains’  sides  became,  and  the  valleys  widened  again. 
On  the  following  day,  we  crossed  two  other  rivers,  which 
were  arms  of  the  Colorado,  and  went  down  towards  the 
northern  spurs  of  the  San-Saba  Mountains.  The  mountain- 
chains  here  ran  severally  over  larger  surfaces,  on  which  a 
great  many  hills  rose ; but  they  had  nearly  all  already 
donned  the  garb  of  the  prairies.  They  were  covered  with  a 
red  grass  that  is  rather  hard,  but  does  not  die  in  winter, 
while  in  the  lowlands  grew  the  fine  hair-like  mosquito- 
grass.  We  found  here  again  large  troops  of  wild  horses, 
though  we  had  seen  none  on  the  mountains,  and  enormous 
quantities  of  game  of  all  sorts.  The  prairie  more  espe- 
cially was  covered  with  buffaloes  as  far  as  we  could  see. 
W e were  constantly  supplied  with  the  finest  meat,  which  we 
shot  in  passing,  wiihout  stopping  any  length  of  time  or  tir- 
ing our  horses. 

One  afternoon,  however,  we  noticed  among  a herd  of 
buffaloes  two  white  ones,  which  excited  our  cupidity ; and 
we  resolved  to  hunt  them.  We  left  Antonio  and  Konigstein 
behind  with  the  mules,  laid  aside  our  superfluous  baggage, 
ani  slowly  approached  the  buffaloes.  They  were  standing 


A B>>mi  Tw 


in 


an  a knob  cn  the  prairie.  an* d a*  to  rise  rirher 

up  ere  they  wok  to  rz  =r  t-  We  rahiced  after  them.  an»d 
'■'ere  soon  in  their  rani*.  which  mve  w*y  y we  tressed  -- 
and  spread  on  loch  sides  with  such  r.:inr  and  snrrninr  a* 
deafened  ibe  thundering  ns*e  « their  L:«i.  The  no 
while  animals,  an  «4i  boil  and  a cow.  were  rizb:  in  ne 
from.  Iz,  spile  of  the  choking  ck*ad  of  css  in  which  we 
were  infolded,  ve  kepi  them  in  sight.  and  at  hs  got  un  no 
them.  Tiger  was  some  paces  ahead,  an-i  rm  up  to  the  buf- 
faloes ; but.  at  the  moment  when  be  raised  Lis  long  rube  to 
lire.  the  bcii  turned  on  him.  and  the  piebald  raxe  a tremen- 
dous Siam  Tiger  I :«s:  Lis  balance.  and  would  assuredly  ha~e 
fallen,  had  be  not  caught  hold  of  the  mane,  and  sprung  inn 
his  rearing  horse.  At  the  same  inscan:,  the  human  received 
our  bullets,  and  dashed  furiously  frsc  after  one,  then  al- 
ter the  ocher,  while  being  comiruaZy  wounded  afresh,  until 
it  at  last  sank  on  its  knee  exhausted,  and  referred  the  death- 
shot  from  Tiger's  ride.  I now  rode  back  to  those  in  the 
rear  and  brought  them  to  the  -dead  WL  while  the  others 
shinned  7_e  h.ie  *:i-ni.l  — ~er-  ig-Lairei  mi 
shaggy,  and  snowy- white  without  spots.  A white  bn mi;  is 
a rarity.  The  savage  Indians  regard  it  with  supterseduous 
awe.  ar^d  make  a sacrifice  of  ■■■>(!  1m  ere  they  attack 
and  kill  it.  They  set  an  extraordinarily  high  value  an  the 
hide  of  such  an  animal,  and  either  use  n as  a valuable  pres- 
ent. or  sell  it  for  a large  sum.  After  the  ball  was  killed.  I 
Lai  the  greatest  difficulty  in  keeping  Tiger  trim  fchowfug 
the  herd,  which  was  out  of  sight,  in  order  to  take  the  hide 
of  the  white  cow  : and  it  was  not  dll  I assured  hint  that  the 
hi  de  of  the  dead  one  belonged  to  him.  and  that  I would  pur- 
chase it  of  him,  that  be  remained  with  as.  An  hour  later 
the  bargain  was  concluded,  and  my  Indian  perfeeny  con- 
tented. 

n 


s 

CHAPTER  XX. 

THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS.  * 

We  now  reached  open  plains,  where  only  here  and  there 
an  isolated  mosquito-tree  or  a thickly  foliaged  elm  offers  a 
little  shade  on  the  boundless  glowing  surface,  and  the  sky 
forms  the  horizon  all  around.  To  these  single  shady  trees 
the  deer  and  antelopes  fly  in  the  mid-day  heat,  and  lie  down 
close  together,  so  that  you  may  be  always  certain  to  find 
game  under  these  trees  so  long  as  their  leaves  are  standing. 
At  the  same  season  the  grass  is  high  also  ; and  it  is  easy  for 
the  hunter  to  creep,  unseen,  within  shot,  and  shoot  the  fattest 
deer  through  the  head.  Even  at  the  time  of  our  visit,  when 
the  leaves  had  fallen,  these  animals  frequently  reposed  un- 
der the  scattered  trees,  and  rose  as  we  passed  ; forty  or  fifty 
in  number  gazing  anxiously  at  us.  The  buffalo,  on  the 
other  hand,  always  remains  in  the  sunshine,  and  seems  able 
to  endure  the  greatest  heat,  but  also  the  greatest  cold,  before 
all  other  quadrupeds. 

One  afternoon  I was  riding  with  Tiger  about  a mile 
ahead  of  our  party,  in  order  to  have  a better  chance  of  ap- 
proaching game,  when  we  heard  two  shots  behind  us.  We 
looked  round,  and  saw  our  friends  gathered  in  a knot  on  a 
small  knoll,  and  a swarm  of  about  fifty  Indians  galloping 
round  them.  We  gave  our  horses  the  spurs,  and  flew  back 
to  them,  while  Tiger  raised  a hideous  yell,  in  which  I sup- 
ported him  to  the  best  of  my  strength.  Our  friends  now 
fired  a general  salvo  at  the  assailants,  which  knocked  over 
178 


The  Rocbj  Mountains. 


179 


two  horses  ; bat  their  riders  were  immediately  picked  up  by 
their  comrades.  On  seeing  U3,  the  savages  took  to  flight 
with  grewsome  yells.  We  rode  up  to  our  companions,  who 
had  placed  all  the  animals  in  the  centre  to  protect  them. 
Konigstein  had  luckily  seen  some  horses’  heads  over  the 
crest  of  the  next  hill  which  aroused  his  suspicions,  and  had 
employed,  the  time  in  assuming  a posture  of  defence,  or  else 
we  should  probably  have  lost  our  mules.  Tiger  saw,  from 
the  saddles  of  the  shot  horses,  that  they  belonged  to  the 
Mescaleros,  who  are  considered  the  most  savage  tribe  in  the 
West,  and  would  certainly  not  have  given  up  their  attack  so 
soon,  had  they  not  recognized  Tiger’s  war-whoop  as  that  of 
the  Delawares.  The  number  of  Mescalero3  i3  not  large ; 
and  they  are  constantly  at  war  with  many  other  tribes,  so 
that  they  do  not  care  to  make  fresh  enemies  among  their 
red  brothers.  This  little  danger,  which  we  escaped  without 
loss,  was  not  unpleasing  to  me,  as  our  precautions,  which 
had  nearly  been  forgotten,  were  aroused  once  more  by  it. 

For  about  a week,  we  marched  through  a very  pleasant 
country,  and  arrived  at  a rather  large  river,  which  Tiger 
stated  to  be  the  Brazos,  and  which  falls  into  the  gulf  to  the 
eastward  of  the  Colorado.  I had  seen  it  before  at  San  Fe- 
lipe, but  would  not  have  recognized  it ; for  there  it  moves 
sluggishly  through  a thick-wooded  bed  of  heavy  clay,  and 
has  a dirty  red  color,  while  here  it  rolls  merrily  over  rocks, 
and  it3  crystal  surface  is  covered  with  a snow-white  foam. 
From  this  point  we  proceeded  to  the  north-west,  as  Tiger 
noticed  that  we  had  gone  a little  too  far  east,  and  would 
have  much  greater  difficulty  in  crossing  the  rivers  than  far- 
ther west,  where,  though  the  country  is  mountainous,  the 
streams  nearer  their  sources  are  smaller  and  more  frequent. 

On  a warm  day.  we  had  been  riding  without  a halt  over 
desolate,  stony  hills,  and  were  quite  exhausted.  When  our 


180 


The  Backwoodsman. 


tired  and  thirsty  horses  clambered  up  a barren  height,  we 
suddenly  looked  down  into  a lovely  valley  covered  with 
fresh  verdure,  through  which  a broad  stream  wound.  The 
view  soon  enlivened  horse  and  rider ; and  we  merrily  hur- 
ried down  to  the  bank  of  the  stream.  We  had  hardly 
reached  it,  and  ridden  our  horses  in  to  let  them  quench  their 
thirst,  when  a long  train  of  Indians  appeared  on  the  oppo- 
site height  bordering  the  valley,  and  came  straight  towards 
us.  Tiger  looked  at  them  for  a moment,  and  told  us  to 
wait  here  while  he  rode  across  to  see  who  they  were.  We 
dismounted,  led  our  horses  together,  and  got  our  weapons  in 
readiness.  Tiger  galloped  through  the  valley  to  the  hill- 
side down  which  the  Indians  were  coming,  and  checked  his 
piebald  at  its  foot.  We  saw  him  making  signs  from  a 
distance  to  the  approaching  horsemen,  which  were  answered 
iu  the  same  way ; and,  ere  long,  the  whole  party  pulled  up 
around  him.  They  held  a long  consultation,  and  then  rode 
towards  us,  with  Tiger  at  their  head.  They  were  Kicka- 
poos  out  on  a hunting-expedition,  and  had  recently  left  \heir 
villages  on  the  Platte,  where  they  have  settlements  like  the 
Delawares,  and  their  squaws  and  old  men  grow  crops  and 
breed  cattle. 

I had  a long  conversation  with  the  chief,  in  which  Tiger 
played  the  interpreter  ; told  him  the  purpose  of  our  journey, 
invited  him  to  visit  me  on  the  Leone  next  winter,  and  asked 
him  how  far  it  was  to  the  next  water.  He  assured  me  that  we 
should  come  to  good  water  and  grass  before  the  sun  sank  be- 
hind the  mountains  ; and  so  we  parted,  very  glad  to  get  away 
from  the  fellows  whose  appearance  was  any  thing  but  satis- 
factory. The  party  consisted  of  about  eighty  men,  twenty 
squaws,  and  a number  of  small  children.  They  had  already 
unpacked  their  horses  and  prepared  their  camp  to  halt  here, 
as  we  rode  away  from  them  over  the  hills,  and  Tiger  came 


Ocelots  hunting  in  Couples.  Page  181. 


The  Rocky  Mountains. 


181 


up  to  me,  saying,  “ Kickapoo  no  good  ; two  tongues.”  I 
had  heard  before  that  these  Indians  were  false,  spiteful,  and 
hostile  to  white  men  ; and  only  the  advantage  they  derive 
from  being  on  friendly  terms  with  the  United  States  induces 
them  not  to  appear  publicly  as  their  enemies. 

We  quickly  advanced,  aud  reached  at  a rather  early  hour 
a valley  in  which  we  found  grass  and  water,  and  chose  our 
camp  at  a spot  where  the  stream  ran  close  under  a preci- 
pice, while  on  this  side  was  a small  copse  in  which  we  could 
fasten  our  cattle  at  night.  It  w,as  an  almost  circular  kettle 
enclosed  by  steep  limestone  walls,  which  had  an  opening 
only  on  one  side,  through  which  the  bright  stream  flowed. 
About  midnight  Trusty  aroused  us  by  his  loud  savage  bark  : 
he  was  at  the  opening  of  the  valley,  and  would  not  lie  down 
again  ; but  we  could  not  discover  his  motive,  as  it  was  quite 
dark.  Tiger  fancied,  however,  that  the  Kickapoos  were 
trying  to  steal  some  of  our  horses.  When  day  broke  and 
cast  its  first  faint  light  over  the  gray  walls  of  the  valley, 
I awoke,  and  saw  at  the  entrance  a herd  of  deer  apparently 
browsing  down  the  stream.  As  it  was  still  rather  dark,  I 
hoped  to  be  able  to  approach  them  behind  the  few  leafless 
bushes  that  grew  on  the  bank,  as  crawling  through  the 
dewy  grass  was  too  fatiguing  a job  to  be  rewarded  by  a 
deer,  especially  as  we  still  had  a supply  of  game. 

I crept  down  the  stream,  and  had  got  within  shot,  when 
I made  a forward  leap  in  order  to  reach  a rather  thick 
bush,  from  which  I could  fire  more  conveniently.  At  the 
same  instant,  the  deer  started  apart  in  terror  ; and  I saw  that 
an  ocelot  had  leaped  on  the  back  of  one  of  them,  which 
laid  back  its  broad  antlers,  and  galloped  down  the  stream, 
while  a second  cat  followed  it  with  long  high  bounds.  Two 
of  the  terrified  deer  darted  past  me ; but  I did  not  fire,  as  I 
felt  an  interest  in  watching  the  hunt  of  the  two  beasts  of 


182 


The  Backwoodsman. 


prey,  which  I followed  as  quickly*  as  I could  out  of  the  val- 
ley. The  deer  ran  about  a mile  down  the  stream,  then 
reared  and  fell  over  backwards ; when  the  second  cat  also 
sprang  on  it,  and  hung  on  its  neck. 

The  deer  collected  its  last  strength,  and  tried  to  rise  on  its 
hind-legs,  but  sank  exhausted,  and  sent  its  plaintive  cries 
echoing  through  the  mountains.  I crept,  unseen  by  the 
beasts  of  prey,  within  thirty  yards  of  the  scene  of  battle, 
and  shot  the  first,  while  I missed  the  second,  as  it  bolted, 
but  sent  Trusty  after  it,  and  soon  heard  him  at  bay  lower 
down  the  stream.  I soon  reloaded,  and  hurried  after 
Trusty,  who  was  barking  round  a small  oak  in  which  the 
ocelot  had  sought  shelter.  I shot  it  down  and  dragged  it 
up  to  the  other,  which  was  lying  by  the  dead  deer.  All 
were  up  in  our  camp,  as  they  had  heard  my  shots  ; and 
John  and  Konigstein  hurried  towards  me  to  see  what  I had 
killed.  My  clothes  were  as  wet  as  if  I had  been  in  the 
river ; and  I turned  myself  before  our  fire,  while  the  others 
went  out  with  Jack  to  bring  in  the  game.  Higher  north  I 
did  not  come  across  these  small  leopards,  while  farther 
south  they  are  very  frequent. 

For  several  days  longer,  our  road  ran  through  mountains 
which  were  bordered  by  savage  precipices,  and  crossed  by 
grassy  valleys ; then  we  rode  for  some  days  across  open, 
boundless  prairies,  and  again  reached  low  ranges  of  hills, 
between  which  we  crossed  the  southern  arm  of  Red  River, 
which  divides  Texas  from  Arkansas,  and  falls  into  the 
Mississippi  in  Arkansas  after  flowing  a distance  of  nearly 
a thousand  miles. 

The  Rocky  Mountains  now  rose  in  the  west,  and  glistened 
with  their  snowy  peaks,  while  around  us  the  plants  an- 
nounced spring  by  their  bursting  buds.  We  drew  nearer  to 
them,  although  in  this  way  our  route  became  far  more  fa- 


The  Rocky  Mountains. 


183 


tiguing  than  farther  eastward,  where  the  wide  prairies  ex- 
tend to  the  north.  But  Tiger  employed  this  precaution  in 
order  to  get  out  of  the  way  of  the  great  Indian  hordes  pur- 
suing the  buffalo,  who  do  not  find  in  these  mountains  suffi- 
cient food  for  their  troops  of  horses  and  mules,  and  cannot 
hunt  the  buffaloes  there  so  well  as  on  the  prairie. 

We  had  been  winding  for  some  days  through  wildly  ro- 
mantic mountain-gorges ; and  our  eyes  were  involuntarily 
fixed  on  the  distant  reddish  mountains  which  rose  in  the 
north  towards  the  transparent  sky. 

I was  riding  with  Tiger  ahead  of  our  party,  when,  on 
turning  a rock,  we  saw  a very  plump  bear  leap  from  the 
bank  through  the  shallow  but  foaming  stream,  and  disap- 
pear in  a coppice  opposite.  It  was  too  quick  to  enable  us 
to  fire  ; and,  when  we  reached  the  spot  where  we  first  saw  it, 
we  found  a large  elk  lying  behind  some  thick  prickly  bushes, 
which  was  still  warm,  and  hence  must  have  been  recently 
killed.  One  leg  was  torn  up,  but  the  rest  was  in  good  con- 
dition ; and  we  halted  to  await  our  friends,  and  put  the  game 
on  the  mules.  When  I was  about  to  dismount,  Tiger  re- 
marked that  the  bear  would  return  to  the  elk  in  the  evening  ; 
and  as  we  should  soon  be  obliged  to  camp,  owing  to  the 
growing  darkness,  we  could  hunt  it. 

Our  friends  came  up,  and  we  marched  about  a mile  far- 
ther, where  we  found  excellent  grass  in  a gorge  on  the  left 
of  the  river.  We  unsaddled,  hobbled  our  cattle,  and  pre- 
pared supper,  although  it  was  rather  early.  The  question 
then  was,  who  of  us  should  go  after  the  bear  ; and,  as  all 
wished  to  do  so,  we  agreed  that  the  dice  should  decide. 
The  lot  fell  on  myself,  Clifton,  and  Konigstein ; and  with- 
out delay  we  took  our  weapons,  and  walked  down  the 
stream  to  the  spot  where  the  elk  lay.  We  advanced  cau- 
tiously, as  the  bear  might  already  be  at  its  quarry  ; and,  as 


184 


The  Backwoodsman. 


we  noticed  nothing  of  it,  we  selected  our  posts  no  great  dis- 
tance from  the  elk.  I was  at  the  centre,  behind  a large 
rock ; Konigstein  lay  on  my  right,  near  the  stream,  in  the 
dry  grass  behind  some  bushes ; and  Clifton  was  on  my  left, 
ered  by  a fallen  dead  tree. 

We  had  a good  wind  ; and,  if  the  bear  returned,  we  should 
have  it  under  our  guns,  and  it  would  hardly  be  able  to 
escape.  We  sa£  without  moving.  The  sun  sank  behind  the 
mountains  and  scarce  illumined  the  heights,  while  around 
us  the  gloom  was  already  gathering : there  was  not  a 
breath  of  air ; and  only  the  buzzing  and  chirruping  of  in- 
sects and  the  rustling  of  the  stream  disturbed  the  silence. 
Trusty,  who  had  hitherto  been  lying  at  my  feet,  raised  his 
head,  looked  at  the  thicket  opposite,  and  then  up  to  me.  I 
shook  my  finger  at  him  not  to  growl,  which  he  quite  under- 
stood, and  thrust  his  head  down  on  the  ground.  Directly 
after,  I heard  a cracking  in  the  thicket,  which  soon  became 
more  distinct.  At  length  the  bear  burst  out  of  the  scrub, 
and  came  down  a small  path  to  the  stream.  We  had 
agreed  not  to  fire  until  it  reached  the  elk  on  this  side.  It 
stopped  for  a few  minutes  in  the  water  to  drink,  then  leapt 
from  stone  to  stone  up  the  bank,  and  walked  slowly  towards 
the  elk.  The  bear  had  scarce  reached  the  prickly  bush  ere 
we  fired  simultaneously  ; and  it  rolled  over,  but  got  up  again, 
and  leapt  into  the  water.  Clifton  and  Konigstein  sent  two 
bullets  after  it,  which,  however,  did  not  seem  to  hurt  it 
much,  for  it  dashed  ahead  to  the  other  bank.  Konigstein 
at  once  leapt,  revolver  in  hand,  into  the  stream  after  the 
bear,  and  was  standing  between  it  and  me,  when  he  put  a 
bullet  into  its  leg  at  a short  distance.  The  bear,  noticing 
its  pursuer,  turned,  and  went  towards  him  with  a hoarse 
roar,  while  Konigstein,  still  standing  in  the  water,  put  a 
second  bullet  into  its  chest.  I ran  up  and  fired  my  rifle- 


The  Rocky  Mountains. 


185 


bullet  into  the  left  breast  of  the  furious  animal,  while  Clif- 
ton gave  it  another  in  the  belly  from  his  long  pistol.  The 
bear  fell  into  the  water  but  a few  yards  from  Konigstein, 
who,  seeing  it  rise  on  its  fore-paws,  shot  it  through  the 
head  with  his  revolver.  Though  the  water  was  shallow,  it 
was  so  rapid  that  it  would  have  carried  the  bear  away ; so 
we  both  threw  away  our  weapons,  leapt  into  the  stream  to 
Konigstein,  and  dragged  the  beast  to  land.  Here  we  let  it 
lie,  reloaded,  and  returned  to  camp,  where  our  comrades 
were,  greatly  pleased  at  the  lucky  result  of  our  hunt.  We 
waited  till  the  moon  had  risen,  then  took  two  mules  ; and  I 
proceeded  with  Tiger  and  John  to  our  quarry,  in  order  to 
fetch  its  skin  and  the  best  meat. 

It  was  late  when  we  got  back  to  camp  : still  our  appetite 
had  been  excited  again*;  and,  instead  of  going  to  sleep,  we 
sat  joking  round  the  fire,  each  with  some  spitted  bear-meat 
before  him.  The  coffee-pot  also  went  the  round ; and  the 
steaming  pipe  accompanied  us  to  our  buffalo-hides,  on  which 
we  lay  conversing  for  some  time.  Clifton  insisted  that  he 
ought  to  be  rewarded  handsomely  by  Konigstein  for  saving 
his  life  by  the  pistol-shot ; while  the  latter  tried  to  prove  to 
him  that  he  had  aimed  too  low  to  hit  the  bear’s  heart,  and 
hence,  as  a punishment,  ought  to  have  its  paw  stuck  on  his 
hat.  The  answers,  however,  gradually  became  rarer  ; and 
we  soon  were  all  fast  asleep. 

I was  awakened  by  the  cold  about  an  hour  before  day- 
light, sprang  up,  poked  the  fire,  which  was  nearly  burnt 
out,  wrapped  myself  in  my  buffalo-robe,  and  fell  asleep 
again  soundly,  till  my  comrades  shouted  to  me  that  the  cof- 
fee was  ready.  We  soon  mounted,  crossed  the  stream  with- 
out difficulty,  and  followed  a buffalo-path  up  the  hills.  Our 
journey  during  the  last  day  had  been  fatiguing  for  the 
horses  ; and,  in  spite  of  the  long  distance  we  had  ridden,  we 


186 


The  Backwoodsman. 


had  advanced  but  little  northwards : so  we  gladly  followed 
an  easterly  course,  which  brought  us  nearer  the  great  prai- 
ries. From  here  we  also  noticed  that  the  highest  mountain- 
peaks  were  a little  farther  to  the  west,  and  consequently  off 
our  track. 

The  sky  became  overcast ; and  in  the  afternoon  it  began 
raining,  so  that  we  were  obliged  to  put  our  buffalo-robes 
over  us,  and  at  night  pitched  our  small  tents  to  protect  us 
from  the  heavy,  incessant  rain.  During  the  night,  we  were 
frequently  obliged  to  feed  the  fire  to  keep  it  burning  ; and  in 
the  morning  we  saw  no  sign  that  the  clouds  were  about  to 
break. 

Thus  the  whole  day  and  the  next  night  passed  ; and  it 
was  not  till  ten  the  next  morning  that  we  saw  a patch  of 
blue  sky.  John  and  Mac  went  out  shooting  together,  and 
killed  some  turkeys  and  a deer,  which  they  brought  into 
camp  on  Sam.  Tiger  went  out  alone,  and  returned  in  the 
evening  with  two  deer-legs  and  a beaver,  having  surprised 
the  latter  on  land.  Our  supper-table  was  hence  splendidly 
covered  again ; and  we  greatly  enjoyed  the  beaver-tail, 
which  is  one  of  the  best  dishes  the  West  offers. 

Our  various  skins,  tents,  blankets,  &c.,  were  now  tolera- 
bly dry ; and  the  next  morning  we  left  camp,  and  travelled 
northwards,  towards  the  sides  of  the  mountains,  and  the 
spurs  they  shoot  out,  into  the  great  prairies.  Two  days 
later  we  altered  our  course  again  to  the  west,  in  order  not 
to  leave  the  mountains,  which  here  enclosed  large  patches 
of  grass-land. 

One  evening  we  reached  a stream,  which  came  down 
from  these  mountains  through  a rather  wide  valley,  which 
Tiger  told  us  was  an  arm  of  the  Canadian  River  that  falls 
into  the  Arkansas.  When  we  reached  the  river-bank,  we 
found  its  water  very  turbid,  and  so  swollen  that  we  could 


The  Rocky  Mountains. 


187 


not  ride  through,  owing  to  the  furious  current.  Hence  we 
unloaded,  though  it  was  still  rather  early,  and  found  our- 
selves on  a steep  bank,  where  the  stream  could  not  hurt  us, 
even  if  it  rose  higher.  The  night  passed  undisturbed : 
morning  displayed  a bright,  cloudless  sky,  and  promised  us 
a beautiful  day  ; but  the  river  had  not  fallen  so  much  as  we 
expected,  and  we  preferred  awaiting  its  fall  here  to  going 
higher  up  and  seeking  a shallower  spot. 

The  sun  had  scarce  risen  over  the  low  hills  in  the  east 
when  I took  my  rifle  and  went  down  the  river  with  Trusty 
to  try  my  luck  in  hunting,  and  had  scarce  gone  a hundred 
yards  when  I saw  some  head  of  game,  which  were  too  large 
for  our  ordinary  deer  and  too  dark-colored,  and  yet  did  not 
resemble  elks. 

I crept  nearer,  and  convinced  myself  they  were  giant 
deer,  which  are  not  uncommon  in  the  Andes.  I shot  at  a 
very  large  stag,  which  had  already  shed  its  antlers  ; and  it 
rushed  upon  me,  but  soon  turned  away,  and  I gave  it  the 
second  bullet.  It  went  some  hundred  yards  bleeding  pro- 
fusely, SP  that  I expected  every  moment  to  see  it  fall ; then 
stopped  ; and  I employed  the  time  to  reload,  and  get  within 
pighty  yards  of  it.  I was  on  the  point  of  firing,  when  it 
dashed  away  and  got  out  of  sight.  I put  Trusty  on  the 
trail,  and  followed  him,  crossing  the  brook  several  times  up 
the  valley  towards  our  camp,  as  I fancied.  At  length  I 
saw  the  stag  standing  under  an  old  oak ; and  I succeeded  in 
getting  within  shot.  I fired,  and  saw  the'  bullet  go  home  ; 
but,  for  all  that,  the  deer  ran  up  a hill  on  the  left,  and  disap- 
peared. My  eagerness  in  following  the  animal  was  more 
and  more  aroused : I reloaded,  and  went  with  Trusty  alter 
the  bleeding  trail,  over  the  hill  and  down  the  other  side, 
then  through  a thicket  in  the  valley,  and  over  another  hill  to 
a stream,  where  I at  last  found  the  stag  dead.  It  was  a 


188 


The  Backwoodsman. 


splendid  giant  deer,  distinguished  from  our  royal  harts  by 
its  size,  blackish-brown  coat,  and  proportionately  higher 
fore-legs.  I broke  it  up,  gave  Trusty  his  share  ; and  it  was 
not  till  I was  ready  to  start  that  I thought  of  my  road  to 
camp. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


LOST  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

It  was  near  noon,  and  I had  generally  walked  fast  I 
looked  around  me,  and  tried  to  recollect  the  numerous  wind- 
ings I had  made,  but  soon  saw  it  was  impossible  to  recall 
them,  as  I had  paid  no  attention  to  them  during  the  chase. 
I now  looked  at  my  compass  : I knew  that  the  stream  on 
which  we  were  camping  ran  down  the  valley  from  west  to 
east,  and  that  hence  I was  on  its  southern  side,  to  the  east- 
ward of  our  camp.  I must  therefore  go  due  north  to  reach 
the  stream,  and  then  follow  it  in  order  to  reach  camp. 

The  first  hour  passed  ; but  I saw  no  sign  of  the  river. 
The  second  hour,  during  which  I doubled  my  pace, 
passed  in  the  same  manner.  I looked  repeatedly  at  the 
compass  on  my  rifle-stock  and  the  one  I carried  in  my 
pocket.  My  calculation  was  correct ; of  that  there  could 
be  no  doubt : but  how  was  it  that  I had  not  yet  reached  the 
river?  I was  certain  of  my  matter,  and  laughed  at  myself 
for  imagining  for  a moment  that  I had  lost  my  way.  I 
marched  cheerily  on,  especially  up  the  hills,  as  I fancied 
I should  see  the  looked-for  river  from  each  of  them,  and 
did  not  notice  that  I was  exerting  myself  excessively. 
A certain  anxiety  crept  over  me  involuntarily.  I hurried 
on  the  faster,  the  deeper  the  sun  got  behind  the  mountains  : 
I ran  down  the^hills  and  hurried  up  them,  dripping  with 
perspiration,  with  a strength  which  only  the  feeling  of  im- 
pending danger  can  arouse.  My  energy  and  presence  of 
mind  still  mastered  my  growing  anxiety,  as  I hoped,  felt 

189 


190 


The  Backwoodsman. 


almost  convinced,  that  I should  soon  reach  the  river  which 
had  disappeared  in  so  extraordinary  a way,  until  at  last  the 
sun  sank  behind  the  highest  peaks  of  the  Cordilleras,  and 
the  gloom  of  night  spread  its  mantle  over  the  earth.  Ex- 
haustion followed  long  unnatural  exertion  so  suddenly,  that 
I sank  down  on  the  last  hill  I ascended  ; and  my  strength  of 
mind  and  body  gave  way  utterly.  In  a few  minutes  I fell 
into  a deep  sleep,  and  must  have  lain  there  for  five  hours, 
as,  when  I woke,  I felt  on  my  watch  that  it  was  midnight. 
I remembered  every  thing  I had  hitherto  done  ; and  the  last 
thought  which  had  accompanied  me  up  to  my  unconscious- 
ness startled  me  out  of  it,  — the  thought  that  I had  lost  my 
way. 

When  I got  up,  my  faithful  Trusty  nestled  up  to  me  and 
licked  my  hands,  as  if  wishing  to  remind  me  that  he  was 
still  with  me,  and  I was  not  quite  deserted.  I threw  my 
arm  round  his  strong  neck,  and  pressed  him  firmly  to  me  ; 
for  at  this  moment  he  was  an  unspeakable  comfort,  and  re- 
stored my  resolution  and  strength  of  will.  I had  sufficient 
powder  and  bullets  for  my  weapons  : this  was  a precaution 
which  I had  constantly  urged  on  my  comrades  since  our 
start,  — never  to  go  out  with  half-filled  powder-horn  or  a few 
bullets  for  the  sake  of  convenience. 

My  box  was  full  of  lucifers ; and  I had  also  flint,  steel, 
and  punk.  I carried  bandages  and  a housewife,  as  well  as 
a little  bottle  of  old  brandy  in  my  knapsack,  and  a rather 
large  gourd  at  my  side.  I sprang  up,  and  went  cautiously 
down  hill  to  reach  the  valley,  in  which,  on  the  previous 
evening,  I had  looked  in  vain  for  the  river.  The  darkness 
and  the  rocky  sloping  route  made  my  walk  very  difficult ; 
but  still  I reached  my  destination  at  the  end  of  an  hour, 
and  entered  a very  narrow  valley,  in  which  I soon  found 
enough  dry  wood  under  the  trees  to  light  a fire.  Close  by 


Lost  in  the  Mountains. 


191 


I found  a fallen  tree,  to  which  I carried  the  burning  logs,  in 
order  to  produce  a longer  lasting  fire  to  throw  out  more 
heat ; then  I piled  up  a heap  of  bushes^  and  brushwood,  laid 
myself  on  it,  with  my  bag  under  my  head,  and,  after  drink- 
ing some  brandy  and  water,  fell  asleep  as  soundly  as  if  I 
had  been  in  my  bed  on  the  Leone. 

The  sun  was  high  in  the  heavens  when  I awoke.  I felt 
as  strong  as  usual,  and  lit  a fire  for  breakfast,  drank  some 
more  water  from  my  gourd,  and  went  northwards  in  good 
spirits.  I had  been  walking  near  an  hour,  and  had  crossed 
several  stony  hills,  when  I looked  down  into  a narrow 
gorge,  in  which  alders  and  poplars  grew,  leading  to  the  sup- 
position of  water  ; and,  on  going  down,  I noticed  an  old  ani- 
mal quietly  grazing.  I crawled  very  cautiously  nearer  to  it, 
for  now  I seriously  needed  some  meat ; and,  on  looking  up 
from  a deep  ditch  excavated  by  the  rain,  I saw  a small  deer 
by  the  side  of  the  old  one,  which  was  staring  at  me  over  the 
bushes.  I fired,  and  saw  the  deer  dart  among  the  bushes, 
but  knew  that  it  bore  death  in  its  heart.  The  old  animal 
dashed  close  past  me  ; but  I did  not  fire,  as  I was  certain  of 
securing  the  deer,  and  did  not  care  to  waste  a bullet  unneces- 
sarily. 

I reloaded,  went  back  to  the  bloody  trail,  and  found  the 
deer  dead,  about  thirty  yards  ahead.  I broke  it  up,  skinned 
it,  and  placed  the  rump  and  bits  of  the  liver  before  the  fire 
which  I lit,  while  Trusty  had  the  kidneys,  and  then  amused 
himself  with  the  shoulder-blades. 

The  day  passed  without  my  hearing  the  echo  of  a shot ; 
And  the  sun  was  rather  low  when  I reached  a small  stream 
whose  banks  were  both  rather  thickly  covered  with  wood. 
I resolved  to  spend  the  night  here,  as  I had  wood  and  wa- 
ter, and  was  protected  from  the  weather,  which  had  got  up 
rather  fiercely  since  the  afternoon. 


192 


The  Backwoodsman. 


After  breakfast,  I hung  the  two  skins  on  my  back,  and 
followed  the  valley  for  about  three  miles  ere  I crossed  the 
heights  to  the  north.  On  reaching  the  saddle  of  the  moun- 
tain, the  idea  occurred  to  me  for  the  first  time,  that  the 
lost  river  must  necessarily  flow  to  the  north  ; and  I was 
amazed  at  myself  for  not  thinking  of  this  sooner.  Hence 
I marched  due  west,  and  saw  about  noon  a chain  of  hills 
whose  direction  lay  northward,  which  animated  me  with 
fresh  hope  of  finding  my  comrades  again.  At  the  foot  of 
these  hills,  from  which  spurs  stretched  out  eastward  like 
ribs,  the  valleys  were  thickly  wooded,  and  displayed  gener- 
ally a richer  vegetation  than  the  small  gulleys  in  which  I 
had  hitherto  been  marching.  With  much  difficulty  and  toil 
I reached  the  mountain-chain  in  a few  hours,  exhausted  and 
starving ; but  the  longing  to  learn  whether  I should  find  at 
its  top  a pleasanter  change  in  my  prospects  did  not  let  me 
rest.  I selected  the  least  steep  spot,  and  climbed  up  over 
loose  bowlders,  which  constantly  rolled  away  under  me  and 
brought  me  down.  I had  only  one  hand  at  my  service  to 
hold  on  to  the  few  mimosa-bushes  or  to  pull  myself  up  ; for 
I carried  my  rifle  in  the  other,  and  would  sooner  have  in- 
jured myself  than  it. 

At  last  I climbed  the  last  patch,  bathed  in  perspiration 
and  red-hot ; and  words  fail  to  describe  the  joyous  surprise 
which  befell  me  on  seeing  before  me  the  wooded  vale  and 
river  which  I had  been  seeking  so  long  in  vain.  In  the 
first  joy  of  my  heart,  I forgot  that  it  was  still  very  uncertain 
whether  I should  find  my  comrades  there,  and  that  my  ex- 
istence might  depend  on  a charge  more  or  less  in  my  po^| 
session.  I fired  my  rifle,  and  listened  attentively  to  its  echo 
as  it  rolled  away  along  the  mountains.  I halted  for  a long 
time,  awaitiDg  an  answer,  but  to  no  effect.  I looked  long 
up  the  river  with  my  excellent  telescope  to  try  and  discover 


Lost  in  the  Mountains. 


193 


smoke,  but  also  without  success.  I had  been  resting  for 
about  half  an  hour,  and  cooling  myself  in  the  fresh  breeze, 
when  I seized  my  rifle,  and  proceeded  down  to  the  valley, 
which  I reached  in  a much  shorter  time.  I went  up  it  to 
the  foot  of  the  hills,  where  I had  fewer  obstacles  to  contend 
with  than  in  the  wood  that  covered  the  river-banks,  till  the 
declining  sun  as  well  as  hunger  and  fatigue  warned  me  to 
select  my  camp. 

I had  gone  a considerable  distance  when  the  sun  stood 
over  the  distant  hills,  for  I had  walked  on  without  resting, 
and  had  no  rocks  to  scale.  I turned  off  to  a spring  in  the 
wood,  and  threw  off  my  skins  on  the  first  bushes  I came 
to,  as  they  fatigued  me  too  much,  though  their  weight  was 
not  great.  My  fire  was  soon  lighted  at  the  roots  of  a stump, 
a stock  of  wood  collected,  my  meal  made,  and  supper 
eaten,  which  consisted  of  the  remainder  of  the  bear-meat. 
Before  I entered  the  wood,  I had  looked  up  to  the  hills 
above  me,  and  reflected  whether  at  nightfall  I should  light 
a fire  there,  which  would  certainly  be  seen  a long  way  down 
the  river.  I might  possibly  give  my  friends  a hint  of  my 
whereabouts,  but  equally  well  betray  my  lialting-place  to 
hostile  Indians,  who,  if  any  were  in  the  neighborhood, 
would  see  something  unusual  in  it.  But  then,  again,  it  was 
an  easy  matter  to  hide  myself  from  them,  and,  as  I was 
without  a horse,  seek  a refuge  which  could  easily  be  de- 
fended. I resolved  to  carry  out  my  design,  took  my  weapons, 
and  went  up  the  hills,  whose  summit  I reached  at  nightfall. 
I then  collected  fallen  branches  and  brushwood  round  an 
old  stone,  piled  them  up  to  a great  height ; and  the  fire 
quickly  darted  up,  crackling  and  roaring.  I carried  up  a 
great  number  of  logs  from  the  trees  lying  around,  and 
threw  them  on  the  fire,  which  reminded  me  of  the  bonfires 
we  used  to  light  at  home  when  I was  a boy.  When  I 
13 


194 


The  Backwoodsman. 


thought  the  pile  of  wood  large  enough  to  last  at  least  an 
hour,  I left  the  hill  and  went  to  the  nearest  knoll,  where  I 
sat  down  near  some  rocks,  and  lit  a pipe,  which  enjoyment  I 
only  allowed  myself  morning  and  night,  in  order  to  make 
my  tobacco  last  as  long  as  possible,  as  the  leaves  of  the  su- 
mach, which  are  a good  substitute  for  tobacco,  were  not  to 
be  had. 

I had  been  sitting  there  for  about  half  an  hour,  when 
Trusty  got  up,  uttered  an  almost  inaudible  growl,  and  gazed 
at  the  slope  under  my  feet.  I pressed  his  head  to  the 
ground,  laying  myself  on  the  top  of  him,  and  distinctly 
heard  beneath  me  light  human  voices  and  some  footsteps, 
which  went  under  the  precipice,  to  the  hill  on  whose  top 
my  fire  was  burning.  What  had  I better  do?  Should  I 
call  out  ? They  might  be  my  friends  ; but,  if  they  were 
strange  Indians,  I should  expose  myself  to  unnecessary 
danger  : if  they  were  my  friends,  on  reaching  the  fire,  they 
would  certainly  make  themselves  known  by  their  voices  or  by 
firing.  I remained  perfectly  quiet,  and  gazed  steadfastly  at 
my  fire.  After  a while  I saw  a dark  object  moving  before 
it,  then  another  and  another ; and  I was  soon  able  to  see 
clearly,  through  my  telescope,  that  the  men  moving  round 
it  wore  no  hats.  They  were  consequently  Indians  ; and  t 
was  very  glad  I had  not  betrayed  myself. 

All  at  once  I saw,  a long  way  off  to  the  south-west,  a light, 
which  rapidly  grew  larger,  and,  in  spite  of  the  great  dis- 
tance, so  increased  that  I could  distinctly  perceive  the 
smoke  through  my  glass.  I greeted  it  with  a loudly  beat- 
ing heart  as  the  answer  of  my  friends  : for  no  one  in  these 
dangerous  regions  lights  a widely  gleaming  fire  save  under 
6uch  circumstances,  and  I -was  now  certain  I should  join 
them  again  next  day ; for  they  were  safe  to  keep  up  the 
fire,  so  as  to  show  me  my  course  by  its  smoke.  I remained 


Lost  in  the  Mountains . 


195 


quietly  seated  under  the  rocks,  and  did  not  think  of  sleep, 
though  I was  very  tired ; for  I did  not  dare  return  to  my 
camp,  as  the  fire  was  certainly  still  burning  there,  and  the 
Indians  would  have  seized  my  skins,  whose  absence  I now 
severely  felt.  I was  beginning  to  chill ; and,  as  I could 
not  await  daylight  on  these  bare  heights,  I resolved  to 
march  during  the  night  as  well  as  I could.  I crept,  in  a 
stooping  posture,  from  my  seat  to  the  nearest  hollow,  which 
ran  down  from  the  hills  to  the  valley ; and,  on  reaching  the 
foot  of  them,  I walked  slowly  on  through  the  darkness. 

I had  been  walking  for  about  an  hour,  and  had  fallen 
several  times,  though  without  hurting  myself,  when  I heard 
a shot  right  ahead  of  me.  It  was  doubtless  fired  by  my 
friends,  who  were  seeking  me  in  spite  of  the  darkness : my 
fatigue  disappeared,  and  I walked  with  greater  certainty 
over  the  bare,  sloping  ground.  I soon  heard  another  shot, 
and  now  could  no  longer  refrain  from  answering  it.  I 
fired,  and  soon  after  heard  two  shots  responding  to  me.  It 
was  a terribly  tiring  walk  ; for,  though  it  was  bright  star- 
light, I could  not  distinguish  the  bowlders  and  small  hollows 
sufficiently  to  avoid  them.  I also  got  several  times  among 
prickly  scrub  and  swamps  between  the  hill-sides. 

I was  just  forcing  my  way  out  of  such  a damp  spot  over- 
grown with  thorns,  when  the  crack  of  a rifle  rang  from  the 
hill-side  in  front  of  me  ; and  I at  the  same  time  heard  Tiger’s 
hunting-yell,  though  a long  way  off.  I fired  again,  and  was 
again  answered  by  two  shots.  I breathed  freely,  and  hur- 
ried over  the  slippery  rocks  ; and  just  as  I came  under  a 
hill-slope  I heard  Tiger’s  shrill  yell  over  me.  I answered 
with  all  my  might ; and  ere  long  this  faithful  friend  and  the 
equally  worthy  Konigstein  welcomed  me.  Their  joy,  their 
delight,  were  indescribable.  Trusty  sprang  round  us  as  if 
mad,  in  order  to  display  his  sympathy ; and  I was  obliged 


196 


The  Backwoodsman. 


to  call  to  him  repeatedly,  and  order  him  to  be  quiet,  ere  he 
mastered  his  delight.  It  was  a strange  meeting  among 
these  wild  mountains,  whose  dark  forms  we  could  now  dis- 
tinguish against  the  starlit  sky,  while  the  deepest  night  lay 
around  us.  Tiger  proposed  to  light  a fire  ; but,  when  I told 
him  that  Indians  had  passed  me  and  gone  to  the  fire,  he  said 
it  was  better  for  us  to  keep  moving.  I was  too  tired,  how-  * 
ever,  and  must  rest  first ; so  we  lay  down  under  some  large 
rocks-  where  the  wind  did  not  reach  us.  I took  Trusty  in 
my  arms,  and  pressed  him  to  me  to  keep  him  warm. 

In  order  not  to  fall  asleep,  I now  told  my  comrades  how 
I had  fared,  and  heard  that  Tiger  had  explained  my  disap- 
pearance to  my  friends  precisely  in  this  way.  At  length 
the  first  gleam  of  coming  day  showed  itself,  and  was  sa- 
luted in  the  valley  by  the  voices  of  numerous  turkeys.  We 
leapt  up,  went  down  to  the  wood,  where  these  early  birds 
were  standing  on  the  trees,  and  brought  two  of  them  down. 

A fire  blazed  ; and  the  breasts  of  the  turkeys  twirled  before 
it  while  we  warmed  ourselves  at  it.  Kbuigstein  had  a tin 
pot  and  coffee  with  him,  which  improved  our  meal ; and, 
when  the  sun  was  beginning  to  shine  warmly,  we  started  for 
the  camp,  from  which  we  were  about  five  miles  distant,  and 
where  news  of  me  was  anxiously  awaited. 

The  joy  at  meeting  again  was  great.  From  a distance 
we  were  welcomed  with  shots : all  ran  to  meet  us,  and  each 
wanted  to  be  the  first  to  shake  my  hand  and  express  his  joy 
at  my  rescue,  as  they  all,  except  Tiger,  had  given  me  up  for 
lost.  Czar  raised  his  head  and  the  fore-foot  buckled  to  it, 
and  neighed  in  delight  at  seeing  me,  while  Trusty  ran  up 
to  him,  and  leapt  on  his  back.  All  were  in  the  most  cheer- 
ful temper ; and  a thousand  questions  and  answers  flew 
round  our  camp-fire. 

My  friends  had  gone  in  search  of  me  on  the  evening  when 


Lost  in  the  Mountains.  197 

I did  not  return  to  camp,  and  Tiger  had  found  the  turkey 
shot  by  me,  and  followed  my  trail  to  the  first  stony  knoll 
over  which  I pursued  the  wounded  stag;  but  from  this 
point  he  had  been  unable  to  find  my  track,  and  returned  to 
camp  when  darkness  set  in.  The  next  morning  at  daybreak 
he  returned  to  the  same  spot,  and  had  gone  ahead  of  my 
trail  in  a wide  curve,  in  order,  if  possible,  to  recognize  it  in 
crossing.  Towards  evening  he  had  really  succeeded  in 
finding  first  Trusty’s  trail  and  then  mine  in  the  valley 
where  I shot  the  deer  on  the  first  morning,  and  reached  the 
spot  where  I made  my  breakfast  off  its  meat.  But  from 
this  point  every  sign  disappeared  ; and  any  farther  search 
would  be  useless,  as  night  had  set  in.  Afterwards  they  lit 
a large  fire  on  the  nearest  height,  and  kept  it  up  all  night, 
though  I had  not  noticed  it.  On  the  next  morning,  Tiger 
left  camp  at  an  early  hour  with  Konigstein,  and  told  the 
others  that  they  would  be  back  in  eight  days  if  they  did  not 
find  me  before.  They  looked  for  me  during  the  whole  day, 
and  had  just  collected  wood  on  a knoll  over  the  river  to 
light  a signal  fire,  when  they  saw  mine  flashing  against  the 
dark  sky,  and  hurried  towards  me. 

After  all  the  events  of  the  last  restless  days  had  been 
sufficiently  discussed,  I longed  for  rest.  I made  my  bed  in 
the  shade  of  a live-oak,  covered  myself  with  a buffalo-robe, 
and,  giving  my  comrades  directions  not  to  wake  me  under 
any  pretext,  I slept  undisturbed  till  the  sun  withdrew  its 
last  beams  from  the  valley,  and  sank  behind  the  glittering 
peaks  of  the  Andes.  I felt  strengthened  ; and,  after  dip- 
ping my  head  in  the  river  to  refresh  me,  I sat  down  with 
my  friends  and  ate  a hearty  supper,  composed  of  all  the 
dainties  of  hunters’  fare. 

The  next  morning  found  us  mounted  at  an  early  hour  to 


198 


The  Backwoodsman. 


scale  the  heights  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  whence  we 
followed  its  course  in  the  next  valley. 

Towards  evening  we  reached  a small  stream  which  wound 
through  the  mountains  to  Canadian  River,  and  offered  us  a 
very  pleasant  camping-place  through  the  fine  grass  on  its 
flat  banks,  as  well  as  an  abundance  of  dry  wood. 

We  were  lying  in  the  twilight  round  our  fire,  when  we 
heard,  a long  way  up  the  valley,  the  hoot  of  an  owl,  and  at 
the  same  time  saw  a large,  very  white  bird  flying  along  the 
dark  precipice.  We  all  seized  our  rifles  to  bring  it  down, 
when  it  settled  on  a projecting  rock  opposite  to  us.  None 
of  us  had  ever  seen  a bird  like  it  before.  Several  of  my 
comrades  ran  up  nearer  to  it,  and  fired  simultaneously : 
it  swung  itself  in  the  air,  however,  with  a loud  flapping  of 
wings,  and  circled  round  our  camp,  flying  no  great  distance 
above  me.  I had  more  luck  than  my  friends  ; for  I tumbled 
it  over  with  a broken  wing.  It  was  a snow-white  owl  of 
extraordinary  size,  and  with  such  beautiful  plumage  that  I 
kept  its  skin  to  stuff.  I therefore  killed  it,  hung  it  up,  and 
on  the  next  morning  skinned  it,  and  prepared  the  skin  for 
carriage. 


Beavers  building  a Dam.  Page  199. 


t 


4 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

BEAVER-HUNTERS. 

We  reached  Canadian  River,  which,  however,  here 
trended  so  to  the  east,  that  we  took  the  first  opportunity  of 
crossing  the  hills  that  bordered  it,  and  pursuing  our  course 
towards  the  north.  On  the  other  side  of  them,  which  we 
reached  about  noon,  we  came  to  another  small  stream,  on 
whose  banks  we  saw  a number  of  peeled  trees,  and  also 
found  here  a beaver-lodge.  We  rode  through  the  stream, 
and  had  left  it  about  a mile  behind  U9,  when  we  suddenly 
heard  a shout  in  our  rear,  and  saw  a man,  who  had  sta- 
tioned himself  on  an  isolated  rock,  and  was  making  signs  to 
us.  Tiger  told  me  he  was  a beaver-trapper.  We  rode 
back  to  bid  this  son  of  the  desert  good-day,  and  hear 
whether  we  could  be  of  any  service  to  him.  When  we 
drew  nearer,  the  tall,  dark  form  disappeared  from  the 
rocks  ; and  a man  stepped  from  the  thicket  on  our  left,  with 
a long  rifle  in  his  hand,  and  came  up  to  us  with  the  ques- 
tion, ‘‘Where  from,  strangers?” 

I rode  up  to  the  stranger,  and  replied,  “ From  the  Leone 
on  the  Rio  Grande,”  and  offered  him  my  hand,  which  he 
shook  heartily.  “ Are  you  a trapper?  and  where  from?  ” I 
asked  him.  “ From  Missouri : my  name,  Ben  Armstrong,  has 
been  known  for  the  last  forty  years  in  the  Rocky  Mountains  ; 
and  1 Rave  now  been  back  for  a year  from  the  old  State.” 
He  invited  us  to  go  to  his  camp  and  spend  the  night  with 
him,  as  he  longed  to  hear  something  about  events  in  the  old 

199 


200 


The  Backwoodsman. 


States.  We  accepted  his  invitation,  and  followed  him  along 
a narrow  path  through  the  bushes  and  rocks  to  a spot  some 
hundred  yards  above  the  pond,  where  we  dismounted  in 
front  of  some  thick  scrub,  and  passed  through  it  with  our 
host. 

Antonio  and  Konigstein  went  down  to  the  pond  with  our 
horses,  where  there  was  excellent  grass,  and  watched  over 
them  in  turn  with  my  other  comrades.  I saw  a track  of  a 
horse  leading  to  our  host’s  abode,  and  asked  him  whose  it 
was  ; to  which  he  replied,  that  on  this  trip,  for  the  first 
time  in  his  life,  he  had  taken  a partner,  a young  Kentucki- 
an of  the  name  of  Gray,  who  was  at  present  out  hunting  on 
horseback,  to  get  some  venison,  as  they  were  sick  of  beaver- 
meat. 

The  sun  had  not  set  when  our  friendly  host’s  partner  ar- 
rived with  his  horse  loaded  writh  deer-meat.  He  was 
greatly  surprised  at  finding  so  large  a party,  and  very 
pleased  to  have  an  opportunity  of  hearing  news  from  the 
States,  even  though  it  was  not  of  the  freshest.  He  was 
young  and  tall,  with  a healthy,  merry  face,  brown  eyes, 
pleasant  mouth,  a commencing  beard,  and  long,  dark-brown 
curls  hanging  over  his  shoulders.  His  tight-fitting  leathern 
dress  was  made  with  more  coquettishness  than  Armstrong’s, 
and  displayed  his  handsome  person  ; while  a broad-brimmed, 
black  beaver-hat,  slightly  pulled  over  one  ear,  imparted  to 
his  whole  appearance  something  resolute  and  determined. 

Our  cattle  were  now  brought  up,  and  fastened  to  the  with- 
ered trees  in  the  open  space  ; then  we  laid  dowrn  on  our  skins 
round  the  fire,  and  enjoyed  the  beaver-tails,  while  our  hosts 
paid  special  attention  to  our  biscuits  and  coffee,  'which  were 
a rarity  for  them.  After  supper,  Armstrong  sent  the  whis- 
key-cup round  again  ; then  pipes  were  lighted,  and  we  first 
answered  the  thousand  questions  asked  us  about  the  state 


Beaver-Hunters. 


201 


of  affairs  at  home,  and  which  principally  referred  to  politics. 
When  this  subject  was  exhausted,  Armstrong  spoke,  and 
told  us  the  principal  events  of  his  life  since  he  last  bade 
farewell  to  civilization.  We  listened  to  the  stories  till  a 
late  hour,  when  fatigue  at  length  closed  our  eyes. 

At  the  first  beam  of  dawn,  we  led  our  cattle  into  the  grass, 
got  breakfast  ready,  ‘and  then  went  with  Armstrong  about 
half  a mile  down  the  stream,  wrhere  he  had  traps  still  set. 
We  pulled  up  three  beavers  with  the  bushes  floating  on  the 
water ; and  our  host  remarked,  that  now  there  was  ouly 
one  old  fellow  left,  who  had  escaped  his  traps  several  times, 
and  would  not  go  near  them  again  in  a hurry.  On  return- 
ing to  camp,  we  packed  our  animals,  and  took  leave  of  our 
kind  hosts,  to  whom,  to  their  great  joy,  we  gave  a portion 
of  our  stock  of  coffee.  We  then  described  to  them  accu- 
rately the  district  where  we  had  seen  the  numerous  beaver- 
lodges,  and,  wishing  them  all  possible  luck,  rode  again  up 
the  mountain’s  side,  where  we  had  heard  Armstrong  shout. 

For  several  days  we  followed  our  course  without  any  par- 
ticular difficulties,  while  the  country  retained  much  the  same 
character.  Eastward  the  low  hills  lay  at  our  feet  in  the 
extreme  distance,  between  which  we  could  watch  the  vari- 
ous mountain-torrents  for  a long  way,  while  here  and  there 
the  rich  green  of  the  fresh  turf  peeped  out  between  the  red 
masses.  Our  path  frequently  wound  along  the  precipices, 
where  it  could  be  seen  for  a long  distance  like  a white 
stripe,  and  it  did  not  seem  possible  to  pass  along  it ; but, 
when  we  reached  the  spot,  our  horses  stepped  lightly  over 
it,  and  we  found  that  it  looked  worse  than  it  really  was. 

Thus,  towards  evening,  when  the  sun  was  sinking  behind 
the  mountains,  we  saw  our  path  suddenly  disappear  behind 
an  abrupt  precipice,  and  expected  a dangerous  bit.  When 
we  arrived  there,  we  considered  it  really  better  to  dismount, 


202 


The  Backwoodsman. 


and  lead  our  horses.  The  path  constantly  grew  narrower 
under  the  precipice,  and  the  abyss  beneath  us  steeper  and 
deeper  at  every  step.  We  advanced,  as  it  was  no  longer 
possible  to  turn  back,  and  with  each  foot  our  situation  be- 
came more  serious.  We  wound  round  the  face  of  the  rock, 
and  looked  down  into  a dizzy  ravine,  whose  bottom  was 
already  hidden  by  the  gloom.  The  path  was  only  a few 
feet  wide,  and,  at  many  places,  washed  away  by  the  rain. 
Tiger,  with  his  piebald,  was  ahead  of  me,  and  was  leading 
his  horse  by  a long  bridle  : all  at  once  he  cried  to  me, 
“ Take  care  ! ” and  I saw  his  horse  step  down,  and  then 
spring  up  again.  The  rain  had  excavated  the  path  here  to 
some  depth,  and  by  its  side  the'  rocks  went  dowp  sheer. 
Without  hesitation,  I seized  the  end  of  the  bridle,  quickly 
crossed  the  dangerous  spot,  and  Czar  did  the  same  gallantly. 
Kbnigstein  followed  me,  and  then  one  after  the  other  till  the 
mules  at  length  came  up.  Jack  was  ahead : he  went  cau- 
tiously up  and  down,  and  I saw  the  basket  on  his  left  side 
graze  the  precipice  : still  he  got  across  safely.  Lizzie  fol- 
lowed at  his  heels ; but  Sam  swerved  when  he  arrived  at 
the  spot,  made  a leap  to  get  across,  struck  his  basket 
against  the  precipice,  and  was  hurled  out  into  the  abyss, 
down  which  he  fell,  with  all  four  fSet  in  the  air.  A general 
“ Ah ! ” was  the  sole  sound  that  passed  our  lips  ; for  we 
were  not  yet  out  of  danger  ourselves.  Ere  long,  however, 
the  path  grew  broader,  and  ran  over  a grassy  plateau, 
whence  we  could  look  back  at  the  dangerous  point  and  into 
the  dark  abyss. 

The  loss  of  Sam  was  serious  to  us  ; for  he  carried  our 
coffee,  spirits,  several  buffalo-robes,  and  articles  of  clothing. 
A little  coffee  was  still  packed  on  Jack,  as  we  had  opened  a 
fresh  bladder  that  very  morning,  and  that  animal  carried  all 
the  articles  for  daily  consumption.  We  unpacked,  as  the 


Beaver- Hunters. 


203 


sun  had  set,  and  we  did  not  know  what  roads  we  might 
still  find.  We  had  grass  for  our  hungry  cattle,  and  water 
for  ourselves  we  carried  with  us.  The  night  was  very  cold, 
and  we  missed  a good  wood-fire  terribly.  We  rolled  our- 
selves tighter  in  our  blankets  and  skins,  but  could  not  keep 
warm  ; and  were  glad  when  daylight  came,  and  we  could 
make  our  blood  circulate  by  moving  about. 

It  was  very  early  when  we  rode  off  with  our  buffalo-robes 
over  our  shoulders  : we  pulled  the  large  woollen  blankets, 
that  hung  over  the  saddle,  across  our  lap,  so  as  to  keep  our 
knees  warm  ; and,  throwing  the  bridle  on  the  horse’s  neck, 
we  put  our  hands  in  our  jacket-pockets.  Our  path  continu- 
ally ran  upwards,  and  went  up  and  down  from  one  moun- 
tain saddle  to  another.  We  saw  several  bears  climbing  up 
the  rocks,  for  in  these  remote  regions  they  are  not  very 
particular  as  to  the  mode  of  going  home  ; and  came  across  a 
herd  of  antelopes,  some  of  which  we  shot.  About  noon  we 
reached  a hollow  between  two  ranges  of  hills,  where  we 
found  fresh  grass,  and  a stream  whose  banks  were  covered 
with  low  bushes. 

We  noticed,  about  a mile  to  our  left,  at  the  spot  where 
the  stream  ran  out  of  a precipitous  and  very  narrow  gorge, 
eight  buffaloes  quietly  grazing,  and  resolved  to  hunt  them. 
We  left  our  cattle  under  Antonio’s  charge,  and  crept  tow- 
ards the  animals.  Here  my  comrades  hid  themselves  in  a 
dry  bush  overgrown  with  raspberry-creepers,  that  stood 
nearly  at  the  centre  of  the  opening ; and  Tiger  and  I crept 
up  to  the  buffaloes,  which  were  standing  at  the  highest 
point  of  the  ravine  : we  reached  some  bushes  not  more  thau 
ten  yards  from  the  animals  without  their  perceiving  us,  and 
lay  down  on  the  ground  in  the  midst  of  them.  We  had 
each  selected  a buffalo,  when  they  stared  into  our  bush  with 
tails  erect,  as  they  had  probably  scented  us.  We  fired  to- 


204 


The  Backwoodsman. 


gether ; and  at  the  same  moment  there  was  a trampling 
over  us,  as  if  a cavalry  regiment  were  charging.  I jumped 
up,  and  fired  again  at  the  flying  monsters,  which  now  had  to 
run  the  gantlet  of  my  comrades’  guns.  One  dropped  close 
to  them,  and  the  second  fell  a little  farther  on,  while  the 
rest  galloped  down  the  stream.  Tiger  sprang  up  too,  and 
cut  off  a buffalo  near  our  bush,  which,  he  said,  was  the  one  I 
had  shot : his  had  fled  with  the  others.  For  my  part,  I had 
not  seen  it ; for  the  powder-smoke  still  hung  over  my  rifle, 
when  the  brutes  charged  over  us,  and  we  might  consider 
ourselves  fortunate  that  they  had  not  trampled  us  with  their 
huge  feet.  We  skinned  one  of  them,  in  order  to  use  the 
skin  as  a substitute  for  the  one  we  had  lost,  although  an  un- 
tanned buffalo-hide  is  a very  clumsy  thing  to  carry  on  pack- 
animals. 

We  laid  in  a stock  of  the  best  meat,  took  all  the  marrow- 
bones and  tongues,  and  then  followed  a very  decent  path, 
which  here  left  the  main  road,  aud  went  down  the  stream 
eastward. 

For  two  days  we  followed  our  path,  and  crossed  various 
streams  which  flowed  more  to  the  south,  till  the  low  hills 
became  more  scattered,  and  the  glens  between  them  wider. 
The  vegetation  was  springing  up  here  ; and  the  good  pastur- 
age induced  us  to  grant  our  cattle  some  rest,  as  they  had 
been  on  short  commons  lately.  We  selected  a very  pretty 
camping-place,  where  a small  stream  ran  under  a precipice, 
and  was  covered  on  one  side  with  scrub  and  a few  leafy 
trees,  while  on  the  north  and  east  a rich  prairie  opened  out, 
and  to  the  west  the  forest  became  thicker. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 


THE  GRISLY  BEARS. 

The  next  morning  we  followed  the  river  for  some  hours, 
and  then  entered  a path  which  ran  northward  through  a 
lateral  valley.  We  had  done  a good  day’s  march,  and  were 
busy  preparing  supper  in  a small  wood  at  a spring,  when 
Trusty  began  barking,  and  we  heard  the  sound  of  horses. 
We  all  ran  to  our  horses,  and  brought  them  together,  while 
we  got  our  weapons  in  readiness  ; when  Tiger  leapt  out  of 
the  bushes,  and  shouted  some  words  we  did  not  understand, 
to  which  no  answer  was  given,  though  the  sound  of  the 
horses’  hoofs  ceased.  Tiger  hurried  back  ; shouted  to  us  to 
fasten  up  our  horses  in  the  thicket,  which  was  effected  in  a 
moment ; and  then  post  ourselves  round  it,  behind  the  trees, 
as  he  believed  that  they  were  hostile  Indians.  All  at  once 
a single  voice  was  heard  not  far  from  us,  whose  language 
was  equally  incomprehensible  to  us,  but  which  Tiger  at  once 
replied  to  ; and,  springing  up  behind  his  tree,  he  uttered  his 
hunting  yell.  He  ran  in  the  direction  where  we  had  heard  the 
voice,  and  shouted  to  me  they  were  friends,  — Delawares. 
Our  joy  was  great ; for  our  position  would  not  have  been  a 
favorable  one  if  we  had  been  attacked  here  by  a superior 
force : it  was  dark,  and  our  thicket  was  commanded  by 
thick  scrub  ; so  that  our  cattle,  at  any  rate,  would  have  been 
exposed  to  bullets  or  arrows  from  a close  distance.  Tiger 
now  came  up  to  our  fire  with  an  Indian,  whom  we  soon 
joined ; and  he  introduced  to  us  his  friend,  the  chief  of  a 
Delaware  tribe,  whom  he  called  Young  Bear.  Several  of 

205 


206 


The  Backwoodsman. 


his  men  soon  joined  us,  most  of  whom  spoke  English,  and 
all  were  very  friendly  to  us.  They  seemed  all  to  have 
known,  for  a long  time,  that  Tiger  was  living  with  us. 
Every  one  questioned  him,  and  appeared  satisfied  with  his 
answers.  The  chief  remained  at  our  fire,  while  his  people 
went  to  camp  close  at  hand.  He  stopped  to  supper,  and  then 
returned  to  his  camp. 

The  next  morning  we  visited  the  Delawares,  and  were 
pleased  at  the  cordiality  with  which  they  welcomed  us. 
There  were  about  forty  warriors,  about  half  as  many 
squaws,  and  a heap  of  children.  They  had  at  least  a hun- 
dred horses  and  mules  with  them,  some  of  which  were  re- 
markably handsome.  Clifton  requested  me  to  ask  Young 
Bear  whether  he  could  supply  him.  with  a good  horse,  as 
his  people  appeared  to  have  more  than  they  required.  The 
chief  spoke  to  them  on  the  subject ; and,  ere  long,  several 
came  up  with  horses,  which  I advised  Clifton,  however,  to 
decline,  as  they  were  not  good  ; for  I was  aware  they 
would  produce  their  worst  horses  first.  After  we  had  in- 
spected and  declined  a number  of  horses,  a young  Indian 
came  up  with  a black  horse  which  was  really  handsome. 
It  was  a powerful,  finely-proportioned  animal,  and  showed 
in  all  points  its  noble  breed.  The  price  he  asked  was  two 
hundred  dollars  ; upon  which  I offered  him  thirty  ; and,  after 
a long  chaffering,  we  agreed  on  fifty,  which  Clifton  paid. 
He  was  delighted  with  his  purchase,  and  had  long  reason  to 
be  satisfied  ; for  the  horse  turned  out  most  useful  and  excel- 
lent in  every  respect. 

We  breakfasted,  Young  Bear  sharing  the  meal  with  us, 
and  were  busily  preparing  for  a start,  when  the  chief  came 
to  me  and  said  that  one  of  his  men  was  inclined  to  go  with 
us,  and  it  would  be  better  for  us  to  have  him  with  us  : he 
had  often  been  on  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  was  acquainted 


The  Grisly  Bears. 


207 


with  the  tribes  living  there,  while  Tiger  was  only  a young 
man.  I was  much  pleased  at  the  offer,  which  seemed  to  me 
to  be  made  chiefly  on  Tiger’s  account.  I told  the  chief  I 
should  be  very  glad,  and  we  would  pay  the  man  for  his  ser- 
vices : he  had  better  ask  him  what  he  expected.  The  In- 
dian, a powerful  man,  between  thirty  and  forty  years  of 
age,  now  came  forward  ; and  we  agreed  that  we  should  pay 
him  five  dollars  for  every  month  he  spent  with  us  till  we 
returned  home.  He  was  very  pleased,  fetched  his  horse, 
and  joined  our  party.  We  stopped,  at  the  camp  of  our 
friends,  bade  them  a hearty  farewell,  and  marched  north- 
ward, animated  by  fresh  courage. 

Our  new  comrade,  whose  name  was  White  Owl,  was  a 
very  quiet,  good-tempered,  and  sensible  man,  who,  in  a 
short  time,  gained  the  good  will  of  all. 

In  a few  days  we  reached  open  prairies : the  mountains 
to  the  west  seemed  here  much  farther  off,  and  resembled 
blue  clouds.  We  marched  for  eight  days  due  north,  during 
which  time  we  crossed  many  rivers  flowing  to  the  east,  and 
came  across  hunting-Indian  tribes  repeatedly. 

We  proceeded  west-north-west,  in  order  to  enter  the  real 
Rocky  Mountains,  and  see  the  Spanish  peaks,  the  highest  in 
this  range,  which  lie  to  the  south  of  the  Arkansas,  from 
which  river  we  were  now  no  great  distance.  During  these 
days  we  generally  ascended  and  crossed  a number  of  small 
streams  that  flowed  from  these  mountains  to  the  Arkansas, 
and  alway  found  good  provender  for  our  cattle  on  their  banks. 
We  reached  a mountain-saddle,  and,  on  its  plateau,  a rather 
frequented  path,  which  appeared  to  have  been  originally 
made  by  buffaloes,  though  we  noticed  old  horse-tracks  upon 
it.  The  path  became  very  fatiguing  for  our  cattle,  as  it  was 
covered  with  flinty  bowlders,  some  of  which  had  very  sharp 
edges,  and  injured  the  hoofs.  At  the  same  time,  we  found 


208 


The  Backwoodsman. 


but  little  food  for  them  on  this  bleak  elevation  ; and  noticed 
with  sorrow  that  they  were  losing  both  flesh  and  strength. 

We  had  been  following  this  path  for  four  days,  when  we 
were  compelled  to  lead  our  horses,  and  expose  our  own  feet 
to  the  sharp-  pebbles ; for  all  were  more  or  less  lame,  and 
unable  to  carry  us  any  farther.  We  marched  from  sunrise 
to  dusk,  without  meeting  with  grass  or  a drop  of  water. 
The  sun  had  set ; and  night  would  long  before  have  put  an 
end  to  our  journey,  had  not  the  moon  lighted  us.  Tiger, 
who  had  gone  on  ahead,  awaited  us  on  a knoll  with  the 
cheering  news  that  there  was  excellent  pasturage  here  for 
our  cattle,  and  water  probably  no  great  distance  off.  A 
crackling  fire  of  brushwood  soon  illumined  the  surrounding 
scenery,  as  we  found  plenty  of  wood  to  keep  it  up.  Late  at 
night  we  lay  around  it,  and  watched  our  cattle  enjoying  the 
sweet  grass ; for  we  felt  a reluctance  to  fetch  them  in  and 
tie  them  up.  At  last,  however,  weariness  compelled  us  to 
place  them  in  our  vicinity,  under  Trusty’s  charge,  so  that  we 
might  rest  after  our  exertions. 

Morning  showed  us  that  we  had  camped  in  a small  glen, 
which,  being  watered  by  numerous  springs,  displayed  a rich 
vegetation  for  its  elevated  situation.  We  were  very  pleased 
to  have  reached  this  oasis,  and  resolved  to  let  our  cattle  rest 
here  for  at  least  a week,  not  only  to  enable  them  to  regain 
their  strength,  but  also  to  give  vegetation  more  time  to 
sprout. 

We  made  many  hunting  excursions,  but  always  on  foot, 
as  we  wished  to  grant  our  cattle  perfect  rest,  and  we  could 
get  through  the  mountains  better  in  this  way. 

Our  stock  of  game  was  again  reduced  to  the  dry  flesh  of 
an  elk  ; when  at  daybreak  I cooked  a bit  of  it  for  breakfast, 
and,  after  eating  it,  seized  my  weapons,  and  left  the  camp 
with  Trusty  to  go  in  search  of  better  game.  I followed  the 


The  Grisly  Bears. 


209 


stream  some  distance,  and  soon  reached  the  bare  slopes 
which  ran  down  to  the  Arkansas. 

I noticed  several  elks,  as  well  as  a single  buffalo  ; and  had 
walked  about  half  an  hour  along  the  rocky  strata,  when  I 
reached  a group  of  stones,  which  attracted  my  attention  by 
their  remarkable  and  picturesque  arrangement.  I had 
walked  to  the  base  of  this  mass  of  stone,  and  was  examin- 
ing its  strange  torm,  when,  on  looking  back  to  the  river,  I 
noticed  three  dark  forms,  which  were  moving  sideways 
towards  me  up  the  steep,  and  were  scarce  half  a mile  from 
me.  At  the  first  glance  I recognized  in  them  three  grisly 
bears,  rapidly  advancing  at  a sling-trot  behind  one  another. 
I knew  the  danger  of  meeting  these  savage  brutes,  and 
quickly  measured  the  distance  back  to  camp.  But  I was  on 
foot,  and  felt  as  if  I had  lead  boots  on,  which  bound  me  to 
the  spot.  It  was  hopeless  to  think  of  escaping  : the  animals 
were  following  a course,  as  if  they  wished  to  pass  above  the 
rocks  near  which  I was  standing,  when  they  must  cross  the 
recent  track  of  myself  and  Trusty,  which  they  would  indu- 
bitably follow  at  once. 

Only  one  chance  of  escape  is  left  the  man  it  pursues,  and 
that  is  a tree  ; for  this  bear  cannot  climb.  But  then  there 
was  not  a tree  anywhere  around  ; and,  besides,  I could  not 
take  Trusty  up  one  with  me,  and  he  must  be  saved.  I had 
no  time  for  reflection,  as  the  peril  rapidly  approached.  I 
laid  my  rifle  on  the  first  layer  of  rock,  seized  Trusty  round 
the  body,  hoisted  him  on  my  shoulders,  and  helped  him  on 
the  rock,  up  which  he  scrambled  : with  one  bound  I was  by 
his  side,  then  aided  him  up  the  second  and  third  layers,  and 
laid  myself  close  to  him  on  the  uppermost  blocks,  where  I 
placed  my  weapons  and  ammunition  ready  to  hand. 

If  the  bears  passed  under  my  fortalice,  I would  let  them  go 
in  peace ; for  in  that  case  it  was  probable  they  would  not 
14 


210 


The  Backwoodsman. 


find  ray  track : but,  if  they  passed  above  it,  I must  throw 
away  n.o  opportunity  to  render  them  harmless  as  soon  as 
possible.  I peeped  over  the  rock  with  my  rifle,  when  the 
three  monsters  were  scarce  fifty  yards  from  me,  proceeding 
to  cross  my  trail  above  me.  An  old  she-bear  slouched  care- 
lessly along  in  front ; close  behind  her  followed  a gigantic, 
very  old  he-bear ; and  a short  distance  in  the  rear  came  a 
rather  smaller  male.  The  old  one  drew  up  to  the  she-bear, 
and  laid  his  right  paw  on  her  leg ; but  she  was  greatly 
offended  by  this  caress,  and  dealt  my  lord  such  blows  with 
her  enormous  paws,  that  the  hair  flew  out  of  him.  He 
sprang  back  : she  sat  up,  showing  her  frightful  teeth,  and 
with  her  side  turned  to  me.  I pressed  my  barrel  firmly 
against  the  rock,  and  pointed  it  at  the  heart  of  the  she- 
bear.  I fired : she  crossed  her  paws  over  her  face,  and 
sank  lifeless  in  a second.  The  old  bear  ran  up  to  her,  and 
laid  his  paws  over  her ; but  his  rival  came  up,  and  a fearful 
struggle  began  between  the  two  monsters,  in  which  they 
rolled  over  and  over,  and  tore  out  each  other’s  grayish-brown 
wool  in  great  masses.  The  old  bear  had  the  best  of  it,  how- 
ever, and  sat  up,  uttering  frightful  growls  at  the  smaller 
bear.  By  this  moment  I had  reloaded,  and  sent  a bullet 
into  the  brute,  near  the  heart.  With  one  bound  it  leapt  on 
its  foe,  which  tried  to  escape  it ; but  the*  old  bear  held  it 
i tight  in  its  fore-claws,  and  dug  its  mqnstrous  teeth  into  the 
other’s  back.  The  other  bear  defended  itself  desperately, 
and  soon  found  that  the  old  brute’s  strength  was  giving 
way : it  sprang  on  it,  and  buried  its  tusks  in  its  chest,  and, 
standing  over  it,  tore  it  up  with  its  two  hind-paws. 

I was  certain  of  the  victory,  and  was  so  careless  as  not  to 
reload  my  rifle,  but  fired  my  second  barrel  at  the  younger 
bear,  without  concealing  myself  properly  behind  the  rock.  I 
hit  it  well ; but  it  scarce  felt  my  bullet  ere  it  turned  its  sav- 


The  Grisly  Bears. 


211 


age  head  towards  me,  and  galloped  towards  the  rock  with  an 
awful  roar.  In  an  instant  it  reached  the  base  of  my  fort- 
ress, and  sprang  with  its  fore-legs  on  the  first  layer,  while  it 
opened  its  blood-stained  throat,  and,  with  smoking  breath, 
uttered  the  most  fearful  sounds.  At  the  moment  when  it 
raised  itself  on  the  rock,  I held  my  revolver  as  near  as  I 
could,  and  fired  between  its  small,  glowing  eyes  : it  fell 
back,  but  at  once  got  up  again,  and  tried  still  more  furiously 
to  scale  the  rock  by  springing  with  all  four  feet  at  once  upon 
the  first  stage,  and  raised  its  blood-dripping  face  just  under 
me.  I had  pulled  out  my  second  revolver,  and  held  it 
cocked  in  my  left  hand.  I pointed  both  barrels  at  the  mon- 
ster’s head,  and  fired  them  together:  it  turned  over,  and- 
rolled  motionless  on  to  the  ground.  I looked  at  the  two 
others,  which  still  lay  quiet  side  by  side,  and  could  scarce 
believe  my  eyes  as  they  gazed  down  on  the  victory  which  I 
had  gained  over  these  three  terrors  of  the  desert.  I quickly 
reloaded,  and  looked  around  carefully  from  my  fort,  espe- 
cially in  the  direction  from  whence  the  brutes  had  come  ; for 
other  male  bears  might  easily  follow  their  track.  I could 
see  nothing  to  alarm  me,  and  now  sprang  down  from  the 
rock  with  Trusty,  went  cautiously  up  to  the  bears,  and 
found  them  all  lifeless.  They  were  three  monstrous  brutes  : 
the  old  bear  must  have  weighed  at  least  fifteen  hundred 
pounds,  the  she-bear  one  thousand,  and  the  smaller  bear 
eight  hundred. 

I had  had  enough  sport  for  to-day,  and  fled  from  the 
battle-field,  as  I was  fearful  of  the  advance  of  other  foes.  I 
went  straight  to  camp,  and  was  saluted  by  a hurrah,  as  my 
early  return  indicated  a successful  hunt.  I had  the  two 
mules  got  ready,  and  invited  the  Indians  and  John  to  go 
with  me.  They  all  wanted  to  know  what  I had  killed  ; but 
I merely  told  them  that  I had  killed  a heap  of  game,  as 


212 


The  Backwoodsman. 


\ . \OK  * ] | ■ ^ h ■ 

they  would  soon  see.  We  made  a hurried  dinner,  and  then 
started  with  the  mules.  We  soon  reached  the  slope,  and 
rode  quickly  down  to  the  river,  during  which  I constantly 
saw  my  rock  fort ; but  it  was  too  far  to  notice  my  quarry. 
My  comrades  believed  that  the  game  lay  on  the  river,  and 
kept  their  eyes  turned  towards  the  latter  ; while  I led  them 
a little  to  the  west  of  my  rock,  to  keep  them  from  seeing 
the  bears  as  long  as  I could.  When  we  were  in  a right 
line  with  them,  I turned  aside,  and  we  suddenly  caught 
sight  of  them.  The  amazement  and  surprise  of  the  Indians 
were  very  great,  and  were  expressed  by  the  most  extraordi- 
nary outbreaks.  They  danced  as  if  stung  by  a tarantula, 
swinging  their  rifles  over  their  heads,  round  the  dead  bears, 
and  imitated  their  roar  in  a remarkable  manner.  At  one 
moment  they  crept  close  to  the  ground  up  to  the  animals, 
then  ran  past  them  with  fierce  yells,  or  leapt  over  them, 
swinging  their  guns  with  wild  shouts  of  delight.  After 
they  had  finished  this  dance  of  triumph,  they  sat  down  on 
the  old  bear,  sharpened  their  knives  on  small  stones  they 
took  out  of  their  medicine-bag,  and  wished  to  cut  off  its 
claws.  I told  them,  however,  that  I wished  to  keep  this 
skin  with  the  claws  on,  but  the  two  others  were  at  their 
disposal ; with  which  they  were  perfectly  satisfied.  We 
skiuned  the  largest  bear,  and  cut  out  the  best  meat  and  the 
fat,  which  we  intended  to  take  with  us.  We  took  the  paws 
and  fat  of  the  other  two,  after  the  Indians  had  appropriated 
the  claws.  I pulled  all  the  tusks  out  of  the  three  heads, 
and  we  now  packed  the  mules  to  convey  our  booty  to  camp. 
As  we  intended  to  remain  a few  days  here,  I asked  the  In- 
dians if  they  would  dress  the  large  skin  for  me  ; to  which 
they  readily  assented : for  this  purpose  they  split  the  head 
with  an  axe,  and  took  out  the  braius. 

We  repeatedly  change  our  camping-ground,  partly  to  get 


213 


The  Grisly  Bears. 

fresh  grass  for  our  cattle,  partly  to  have  a new  stock  of  dry 
wood  at  hand ; and  thus  went  farther  down  the  stream. 
We  stopped  here  nearly  a fortnight ; by  which  time  our 
horses  were  quite  restored,  my  large  skin  dressed,  and  we 
bade  good-by  to  the  glen  which  had  given  us  such  a kind  re- 
ception. We  followed  the  path  again  which  had  brought 
us  here ; and  in  a few  hours  reached  the  Arkansas,  on 
which  we  found  excellent  pasture. 

We  had  ridden  up  the  river  for  two  days,  when  we 
reached  an  arm  of  it  coming  from  the  north,  up  which  we 
proceeded  for  a day,  and  met  with  no  special  difficulties. 
On  the  fourth  morning,  however,  our  bank  became  very 
rocky,  and  we  rapidly  ascended  towards  the  mountains.  We 
spent  several  nights  without  fire  or  water ; and  even  dur- 
ing the  day,  the  latter,  as  well  as  grass,  was  very  scarce. 
We  here  crossed  the  highest  point  we  had  yet  reached,  and 
the  snow  peaks  did  not  appear  to  be  very  far  from  us  ; still 
we  found  sufficient  grass  for  our  cattle  in  the  gullies  between 
the  mountains. 

We  halted  for  a day  at  one  of  these  grassy  spots  ; and  I 
went  with  Tiger  early  from  camp  to  procure  meat,  when  a 
flock  of  mountain  sheep  drew  us  farther  into  the  mountains. 
We  had  fired  several  bullets  at  them  to  no  effect,  and  fol- 
lowed them  in  growing  excitement  from  one  rock  to  an- 
other, until,  some  hours  later,  we  reached  a plateau  which 
was  shrouded  in  fog.  Our  sheep  flew  over  this,  and  dis- 
appeared in  the  mist.  We  stood  amazed  at  this  phenome- 
non, whose  cause  we  could  not  explain  ; for  it  was  a clear, 
bright  morning,  and  the  hills  around  shone  in  the  brightest 
sunshine.  We  went  up  to  the  plain,  and  found,  to  our  sur- 
prise, that  the  mist  covering  it  came  from  hot  springs, 
which  rose  to  the  surface  in  immense  numbers,  the  highest 
with  a jet  of  about  three  feet. 


214 


The  Backwoodsman. 

% 

We  had  no  lack  of  game,  but  saw,  to  our  great  regret, 
our  supply  of  salt  running  out ; for  the  greater  part  of  it  was 
lost  with  unlucky  Sam.  Our  clothes,  too,  were  beginning 
to  get  defective,  especially  our  linen,  as  we  had  lost  our 
changes  on  the  same  occasion.  Our  good  spirits  did  not 
desert  us,  however,  but  enabled  us  to  endure  all  the  fatigues 
of  this  mountain  tour.  We  passed  two  nights  on  fields  of 
snow,  where  we  could  hardly  find  sufficient  firing  to  prepare 
our  supper. 

At  length  our  route  descended  to  lower  hills,  and  we 
reached  at  their  base  a plain,  which,  as  it  seemed,  was  en- 
closed by  even  loftier  mountains,  whose  saddles  still  bore 
the  signs  of  winter ; while  on  the  streams  in  this  elevated 
valley,  which  our  Indians  called  Salade  Park,  May  was 
flaunting  in  her  spring  garb.  Although  the  vegetation  that 
surrounded  us  here  could  not  be  called  luxuriant,  it  did  our 
cattle  a deal  of  good.  For  a long  time  past,  we  saw,  for 
the  first  time,  herds  of  wandering  buffaloes,  among  which 
-we  produced  great  destruction,  as  we  had  long  been  yearn- 
ing for  their  marrow-bones  and  tongues. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

INCEST  OF  THE  BIGHORN. 

In  a week  we  crossed  the  Talley  by  short  stages,  and 
again  reached  the  loftier  mountains.  One  afternoon  we 
arrived  at  a stream  where  we  resolved  to  pass  the  night,  as 
we  did  not  know  whether  we  should  find  water  farther  on. 
Tiger  at  once  hastened  off  to  look  for  game ; and,  as  my 
comrades  preferred  a rest,  I set  out  to  try  my  lock  too.  I 
told  Antonio  to  follow  me  on  Lizzy,  that  I might  not  have 
to  carry  the  game  myself ; aDd  had  got  about  a mile  from 
camp,  when  I noticed,  from  a clump  of  oaks,  a herd  of  deer 
on  a grassy  spot  ahead  of  me,  which  looked  like  the  ordi- 
nary Virginia  deer,  but  were  darker  colored.  I took  up  a 
deer-call  to  draw  them  toward  me.  as  the  spot  where  I was 
standi ag  was  too  barren  for  me  to  be  able  to  stalk  them.  I 
posted  myself  near  an  oak.  and  Antonio  sat  on  Lizzy,  be- 
hind me.  The  herd  advanced  toward  me  on  hearing  my 
call,  and  were  near  enough,  when  Antonio  cried  to  me, 
“ Here,  here  ! ” I fancied  he  was  alluding  to  the  approach- 
ing deer,  and  whispered  that  I could  see  them ; but  he  re- 
peated his  Here  : ” and  presently  added,  “Look  to  your 
right ! ” I turned,  and  saw  an  enormous  snow-white  bear 
forty  yards  from  me.  I tried  to  fire  ; but  the  bear  got  be- 
hind a large  oak.  and  then  behind  another,  and  so  was  a 
good  distance  off  ere  I could  despatch  a bullet  after  it, 
which  I heard  enter  a tree.  It  escaped  me,  as  I had  left 
Trusty  in  camp  ; for  his  feet  were  sore  from  running  over 

SIS 


216 


The  Backwoodsman. 


sharp  stones  lately.  The  bear  heard  the  call,  and  hurried 
up,  believing  that  there  was  booty  for  it.  It  was  only  a 
variety  of  the  common  black  bear.  I would  gladly  have 
secured  its  beautiful  skin,  as  it  is  a rarity ; but  it  was  out 
of  my  reach  : and  hence  I returned  to  the  deer,  which,  after 
my  shot,  had  disappeared  in  a distant  wood.  I went  after 
them,  and  found  them  grazing  again  : when  I emerged  from 
the  bushes,  I shot  a large  deer,  and  found,  to  my  surprise, 
that  it  belonged  to  a genus  I had  never  seen  before. 

Our  road  rapidly  ascended  from  here  to  the  higher  moun- 
tains, and  became  daily  steeper,  and  poorer  in  vegetation  : 
still  the  path  we  followed  was  very  fair,  so  that  we  rather 
rapidly  surmounted  the  heights,  on  whose  small  plateaus 
our  cattle  were  able  to  rest  again.  We  left  behind  us  in  a 
few  days  many  mountain-chains  with  their  narrow  valleys, 
when  suddenly  the  mountains  before  us  became  covered 
with  snow,  and  we  were  soon  in  the  wintry  landscape 
again.  We  suffered  terribly  from  the  cold,  as  our  clothes 
were  not  at  all  suited  for  such  a temperature  ; and  though 
we  wrapped  ourselves  in  our  skins,  we  could  not  keep  warm. 

On  the  following  day,  our  road  ran  principally  over  snow- 
covered  rocks.  At  last,  early  one  morning,  after  spending 
the  night  at  a very  poor  fire,  we  ascended  a saddle,  whence 
we  looked  down  into  a plain,  whose  end  in  the  blue  misty 
distance  was  bordered  by  high  mountains,  while  on  the 
west  and  east  it  was  begirt  by  immense  ranges,  whose  lower 
chains  ran  down  sharply  on  both*sides  in  the  most  remark- 
able shapes. 

We  hastened  to  the  lower  regions,  and  on  the  third  day 
reached  the  river,  whose  course  we  followed. 

We  marched  for  about  a week  near  this  river,  till  we 
reached  a bend,  when  it  suddenly  trended  to  the  west,  and 
thence  pursued  its  uninterrupted  course  through  the  enor- 


Ascent  of  the  Bighorn. 


217 


mous  plains.  I had  been  determined  from  the  commence- 
ment of  the  journey  to  get  as  high  as  I could  up  this  peak, 
and  hence  steered  towards  it. 

On  the  second  evening  we  reached  the  outer  hills,  and 
resolved  to  take  our  cattle  as  far  as  was  safe  regarding  food 
for  them,  and  then  continue  our  journey  afoot.  It  was  the 
second  half  of  June,  the  weather  splendid,  and  the  heat, 
at  times,  oppressive  by  day,  while  the  nights  remained  ex- 
traordinarily cold.  The  farther  we  advanced  in  the  moun- 
tains, the  scantier  food  became  for  our  cattle  ; but  on  that 
account  they  were  all  the  safer  during  our  absence  from  an 
attack  of  hostile  Indians,  who  rarely  venture  so  far  into  the 
mountains.  On  the  third  day,  after  crossing  a considerable 
chain  of  mountains,  we  reached  a small  glen,  which,  on  the 
east  side,  was  enclosed  by  precipices,  and  on  the  south-west 
offered  an  open  view  of  the  mountains  of  Old  Park.  It  was 
covered  with  good  grass,  amply  supplied  with  pine-wood, 
and  watered  by  a beautiful  stream,  which  forced  its  way 
through  the  ravine  by  which  we  had  entered.  This  spot 
exactly  satisfied  our  purpose,  as  it  was  remote  from  regular 
paths,  protected  against  possible  storms,  and  could  be  easily 
defended.  Hence  we  formed  our  camp  here,  conveyed  our 
traps  under  overarching  rocks,  where  they  were  protected 
against  storm  and  rain,  and  hunted  for  somfe  days  in  the 
neighborhood  in  order  to  provide  those  who  remained  be- 
hind with  food  for  some  time.  I had  selected  Tiger  to 
accompany  me,  and  wished  only  to  take  one  other  of  my 
comrades  with  me,  while  the  other  four  remained  in  camp. 
I proposed  that  John,  Mac,  and  Clifton  should  draw  lots  as 
to  who  should  accompany  me  ; but  the  two  latter  gave  way 
in  favor  of  John,  who  gratefully  accepted. 

On  the  morning  of  our  departure  I rolled  up  my  large 
bear-skin,  and  sewed  straps  to  it,  in  order  to  be  able  to  carry 


The  Backwoodsman. 


* 


218 

it  on  my  back ; John  and  Tiger  did  the  same  with  buffalo- 
hides  ; and,  ere  long,  all  our  preparations  for  a start  were 
completed. 

We  walked  bravely  up  the  mountains,  from  one  chain  to 
the  other  ; Tiger  being  ahead,  and  Trusty  behind.  Some- 
times we  came  to  paths  along  which  we  went  pleasantly ; 
at  others  we  crept  on  hands  and  feet  up  the  steep  granitic 
strata ; and  with  every  hour  we  had  a more  extensive  view 
to  the  west.  On  the  first  day  we  covered  a considerable 
distance  ; at  least  five  and  twenty  miles.  Towards  evening 
we  came  to  a stream  ; and  though  it  was  still  early,  we 
halted,  as  we  found  plenty  of  scrub  in  the  vicinity  with 
which  to  light  a fire  and  roast  our  meat.  The  air  was  pure 
and  clear,  but  it  soon  became  very  cold  ; and  so  soon  as 
the  sun  sank  behind  the  mountains,  we  rolled  ourselves  up 
in  our  hides.  We  had  collected  a large  stock  of  wood,  in 
order  to  be  able  to  make  a blaze  quickly,  but  determined  to 
keep  it  up  all  night ; but  we  had  forgotten  our  fatigue, 
which  soon  made  11s  fall  asleep,  and  we  did  not  wake  till 
daybreak. 

Dawn  aroused  us,  and  animated  thq  extensive  landscape 
around  us,  whose  glens  were  covered  by  a thick,  damp  fog, 
while  a fresh  breeze  blew  round  the  heights.  We  soon  fin- 
ished breakfast*;  and,  when  the  sun  shone  on  the  first  peaks 
of  the  western  mountains,  we  were  again  ascending  the 
mountain  in  the  direction  of  our  object. 

We  soon  recognized  the  impossibility  of  reaching  these 
icy  heights : still  it  appeared  to  us  feasible  to  scale  the  back 
of  the  mountain  farther  to  the  north,  as  we  noticed  there,  in 
a deep  gap  which  ran  almost  to  the  summit,  isolated  spots 
free  from  snow. 

We  continued  our  journey,  and  soon  reached  snow,  which 
only  remained,  however,  on  the  north  side.  The  air  became 


Ascent  of  the  Bighorn. 


219 


very  cold,  which  rendered  breathing  difficult ; and  we  could 
not  walk  fast.  Evening  surprised  us  completely  surrounded 
by  snow ; and  we  had  to  go  a long  distance  ere  we  found, 
under  southern  precipices,  a spot  where  the  sun  had  melted 
it  away.  Here  we  slept ; and  my  comrades  woke  me  several 
times,  and  asked  -whether  I was  not  frozeu  : they  could  not 
close  an  eye,  while  I was  tolerably  warm.  They  shook  mo 
again  before  daybreak,  and  we  continued  our  journey,  pull- 
ing our  skins  tightly  round  us. 

At  eleven  in  the  forenoon,  we  at  last  scaled  the  highest 
point  after  excessive  toil,  and  stood  on  a wide  snow-field, 
which  sloped  down  on  the  east  to  a hollow,  behind  which 
other  snow  mountains  rose,  and  in  the  extreme  distance  the 
sky  formed  the  background.  Before  us,  in  the  west, 
stretched  out  a scene  "which  I cannot  find  words  to  describe 
faithfully. 

Our  eyes  were  fixed  for  a long  time  on  this  grand  land- 
scape, and  we  found  it  difficult  to  bid  it  a last  farewell  ; but 
the  cold  warned  us  to  start,  so  that  night  might  not  surprise 
us  on  these  inhospitable  heights,  on  which  we  did  not  see  a 
sign  of  a living  creature.  It  was  one  o’clock  : we  once 
more  bade  adieu  to  the  cold,  desolate  spot  which  had  af- 
forded us  this  enchanting  prospect,  and  then  hastened  to  our 
last  night’s  camping-place,  where  we  arrived  with  frozen 
beards. 

On  the  next  day  we  joined  our  comrades  again  all  right, 
found  them  in  the  best  spirits,  and  our  cattle  rested  and 
strong* 

We  started  on  the  morning  after  our  return  to  camp,  and 
went  back  through  Old  Park,  and  up  an  arm  of  the  Colora- 
do. We  followed  its  windings  across  the  hills  to  the  point 
where,  as  a mountain  torrent,  it  formed  the  most  exquisite 
cascades  in  falling  over  the  rocks. 


220 


The  Backwoodsman. 


The  next  morning  we  finished  packing  our  cattle  at  an 
early  hour,  and  were  about  leaving  our  camp,  when  we  saw, 
behind  the  rock  in  the  valley,  the  smoke  of  many  fires  rising, 
which  indicated  a very  large  Indian  camp.  We  must  em- 
ploy the  precaution  of  first  finding  out  to  what  tribe  tliey 
belonged,  and  in  what  direction  they  were  going : so  we 
rode  down  into  the  glen,  and  concealed  ourselves  in  the 
thick  wood.  Tiger  and  I then  went  to  the  rock,  and 
climbed  to  the  top  of  it,  whence  we  could  survey  the  valley 
on  the  opposite  side.  Who  can  describe  our  surprise  on 
seeing  at  our  feet  a large,  animated  camp,  with  all  the  signs 
of  civilization?  From  the  numerous  gay  tents,  pennants 
blew  out  in  the  fresh  breeze ; and,  between,  men,  hor- 
ses, and  mules  were  moving  in  the  strangest  confusion. 
Here  and  there  laggards  crept  out  of  the  tents,  and  ran  off 
to  the  stream  to  remove  the  last  traces  of  sleep  in  its  clear 
waters.  Round  the  fire,  other  men,  in  the  strangest  cos- 
tumes, were  busied  in  preparing  breakfast,  while  others 
were  proceeding  to  and  from  the  stream  with  horses  and 
mules.  Our  amazement  was  great,  and  our  joy  knew  no 
bounds.  I pulled  out  the  last  remnant  of  a pocket-handker- 
chief, fastened  it  to  the  end  of  my  rifle,  and  then  discharged 
both  barrels,  while  swinging  my  white  flag  high  above  my 
head.  I saw  that  the  attention  of  all  the  occupants  of  the 
camp  was  directed  to  us,  and  many  arms  were  raised,  point- 
ing at  us.  A salvo  of  at  least  fifty  shots  answered  my 
greeting,  and  handkerchiefs  were  waved  in  the  air.  We 
soon  descended  from  our  observatory,  and  hurried  back  to 
our  comrades  to  impart  the  pleasant  news  to  them  ; and  we 
galloped  along  the  stream,  round  the  rock,  and  towards  the 
camp,  where  our  little  party  were  received  with  a thunder- 
ing hurrah. 

In  an  instant  we  were  surrounded  by  a crowd  of  curious 


Ascent  of  the  Bighorn. 


221 


persons,  who  assailed  us  with  a thousand  questions.  I gave 
Antonio  and  Konigstein  the  charge  of  our  cattle  and  traps, 
and  then  went  with  my  other  friends  into  camp,  following 
the  eager  crowd,  who  led  us  to  a large  marquee  in  the  cen- 
tre, from  which  a long  white  pennant  floated.  A man  came 
to  meet  me  w'hose  features  seemed  familiar  to  me  at  the  first 
glance,  and  on  whose  face  I could  plainly  read  that  I pro- 
duced the  same  impression  on  him.  We  offered  each  other 
a hand  with  an  inquiring  glance  ; and,  after  the  first  few 
words  of  greeting,  I recognized  an  old  acquaintance,  Lord 

S , whom  I had  last  seen,  ten  years  before,  on  the  east 

of  the  continent.  The  pleasure  of  meeting  again  was  height- 
ened by  the  most  peculiar  circumstances  under  which  it  took 
place. 

We  sat  down  at  the  fire  ; and  I described  my  journey  to 
this  spot,  and  my  plans  for  its  continuation.  A thousand 
questions  interrupted  my  story ; and,  when  we  reached  the 
present  moment,  we  leapt  back  to  the  time  of  our  last  meet- 
ing, and  followed  the  course  of  my  life  up  to  the  commence- 
ment of  the  present  tour. 

The  whole  company  consisted  of  about  eighty  persons : 
they  had  about  one  hundred  animals  with  them,  most  of 
which  they  purchased  of  Indians  at  the  fort  where  they  left 
the  steamer,  and  had  also  taken  a dozen  of  the  latter  into 
their  service. 

I remained  with  my  comrades  four  days  in  camp,  during 
which  time  we  were  favored  with  the  most  splendid  weather  ; 
and  on  the  fifth  we  got  ready,  after  breakfast,  to  continue 
our  journey,  and  bade  adieu  to  our  friends,  who  intended  to 

spend  some  time  here.  My  friend  S had  supplied  us 

with  all  the  requisite  stores  for  the  pleasant  continuation  of 
our  tour,  had  pressed  upon  us  many  luxuries,  and  given  us 
a perfectly  new  outfit,  so  that  we  were  now  better  equipped 


222 


The  Backwoodsman. 


than  when  we  began  our  journey.  Owl  and  Tiger  were 
handsomely  remembered;  at  which  they  felt  very  happy, 
hung  themselves  and  their  horses  with  numerous  ornaments, 
and  never  let  their  looking-glasses  out  of  their  hand. 

We  were  now  reduced  again  to  our  own  small  number, 
but  were  in  a very  different  state  from  that  prior  to  our 
meeting  with  our  new  friends,  as  we  had  all  our  wants 
again  supplied  ; and  they  now  afforded  us  double  enjoyment 
after  the  lengthened  privation. 

We  had  again  reached  a valley  which  runs  between  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  and  is  called  New  Park.  The  moun- 
tains on  both  sides  drew  very  closely  together  here,  and  at 
some  spots  hardly  left  space  for  the  river  to  pass,  which 
was  swollen  by  numerous  torrents,  and  already  had  a rath- 
er powerful  current. 

One  evening  we  reached  a rather  lofty  point,  where  we 
found  a little  grass  and  a few  live-oaks : the  river  rustled 
below  us,  scarce  a mile  distant,  through  the  rocks,  and  re- 
ceived there  a spring  which  ran  from  a small  coppice  near 
us.  We  had  been  awakened  on  the  previous  night  by  a 
sudden  shower ; and,  as  our  traps  had  been  lying  about  us 
uncovered,  many  of  them  were  wet  through  before  we  could 
get  them  under  shelter  in  the  darkness.  As  the  sky  was 
also  overcast  this  evening,  we  thought  it  advisable  to  put 
up  our  small  tents.  After  supper,  we  gathered  our  traps 
together  under  the  tarpaulin,  on  which  we  laid  large  stones, 
and  then  crept  into  our  tents,  after  wishing  each  other  good- 
night. 

An  icy-damp  breeze  awoke  me  suddenly ; and,  when  1 
started  out  of  my  sleep,  the  storm  drove  the  cold  rain 
through  the  entrance  of  the  tent  into  my  face,  and  violently 
shook  its  sides.  I roused  Konigstein,  and  was  about*  to 
jump  up,  when  a violent  blast  raised  the  tent  above  us,  and 


Ascent  of  the  Bighorn. 


223 


carried  it  off  into  the  darkness,  while  streams  of  rain 
lashed  us.  All  my  companions  shared  the  same  fate,  and 
ran  about  in  the  darkness  seeking  their  blankets,  hats,  and 
articles  of  clothing.  At  the  same  time,  we  heard  the  sound 
of  flying  horses,  probably  ours,  which,  startled  by  the  flap- 
ping of  our  tents,  had  torn  themselves  loose.  We  ran  to 
the  spot  where  we  had  secured  them,  and  only  found  Czar 
and  John’s  mare,  but  no  sign  of  the  others  except  the  broken 
lassoes.  In  the  darkness  I had  thrown  my  large  bear-skin 
over  me,  and  concealed  my  weapons  under  it.  So  I re- 
mained with  Czar,  turning  my  back  to  the  storm,  and  bade 
him  be  quiet,  while  I saw  the  others  running  back  and  for- 
wards like  shadows. 

The  storm  grew  more  furious  still ; and  the  powerful  tor- 
nado seemed  desirous  of  carrying  away  with  it  every  thing 
that  did  not  bend  before  it.  I leant  my  shoulder  against  a 
young  oak  in  order  to  keep  on  my  feet ; but  the  tree  often 
bent  so  low  as  to  touch  the  ground  with  its  foliage.  My 
comrades  had  disappeared,  — at  least  I could  not  notice 
them  anywhere  ; for  the  darkness  was  so  dense  that  I could 
not  see  a yard  before  me.  It  was  impossible  to  call  to  each 
other,  as  you  could  not  even  hear  your  own  voice.  At  the 
same  time  the  rain  still  poured  down  in  almost  a horizontal 
direction,  and  formed  a stream  round  my  feet.  There  was 
lightning  in  the  north  ; but  neither  thunder  nor  lightning 
had  approached  us,  until  suddenly  the  eastern  mountains 
were  lit  up  by  brilliant  flashes,  which  displayed  their  white 
peaks,  and  the  ground  trembled  beneath  a tremendous  clap 
of  thunder.  For  more  than  an  hour,  the  lightning  did  not 
cease  for  longer  than  a few  seconds  ; and  the  thunder  roared 
uninterruptedly  between  the  hills.  But  at  last  the  storm 
moved  up  the  valley,  and  left  an  impenetrable  darkness  be- 
hind. We  gradually  came  together  again,  and  would  assur- 


224  ^ The  Backwoodsman. 

edly  have  laughed  at  each  other  had  this  been  the  time  for 
it : for  we  were  wet  to  the  skin  ; stood  in  the  cold  night 
breeze  upon  saturated,  bottomless  ground ; and,  what  was 
worst  of  all,  most  of  our  cattle  had  bolted.  It  was  simply 
impossible  to  light  a fire  : so  we  made  no  attempt  to  do  so, 
as  we  could  not  seek  dry  materials  in  the  darkness.  Noth- 
ing was  left  us  but  to  wait  quietly  till  day  arrived,  which, 
on  this  occasion,  seemed  to  delay  terribly. 

At  length,  the  new  light  gleamed  over  the  hills,  and  we 
could  soon  distinguish  objects  around.  We  had  a melan- 
choly prospect : here  lay  a wet  buffalo-robe,  a blanket,  or  a 
leathern  jacket;  tfiere  some  hats  were  half  buried  in  the' 
mud ; farther  on,  we  saw  one  of  our  tents  hanging  on  an 
oak : wherever  we  looked,  storm  and  rain  had  left  traces 
of  their  destruction.  A joyous  surprise  was  prepared  for 
us  with  the  return  of  light,  — we  saw  honest  Jack  grazing 
higher  up  the  valley,  and  Konigstein’s  cream-color  follow- 
ing him.  Tiger  and  Owl  soon  set  out  to  seek  the  other 
horses,  which  would  be  easily  found  if  no  accident  had 
happened  to  them ; and  there  were  no  thick  woods  in  this 
valley  to  hide  them  from  us.  We  fetched  up  Jack  and  the 
cream-color  ; and,  while  the  Indians  followed  the  trail  of  the 
horses,  we  sought,  under  the  stones,  dry  grass  and  roots 
with  which  to  light  a fire,  which  caused  us  great  difficulty, 
and  only  succeeded  after  several  failures.  Then  we  put  up 
sticks  round  it  in  order  to  dry  our  traps,  and  finally  looked 
up  those  which  had  been  blown  away.  The  articles  under 
the  tarpaulin  had  remained  quite  dry,  as  the  water  ran 
through  the  brushwood  on  which  we  had  laid  them,  while 
the  heavy  stones  kept  the  cover  down.  In  time,  we  got 
every  thing  in  order  again  ; and  about  noon  we  saw  our 
Indians  coming  down  the  valley,  and  driving  oufc  animals 
before  them,  which  they  had  found  a long  way  in  the  moun- 


Ascent  of  the  Bighorn. 


225 


tains  in  two  parties.  During  the  whole  day,  we  were  occu- 
pied in  repairing  damages.  The  tents  had  to  be  mended, 
the  broken  lassoes  reknotted,  the  saddles  and  bridles  cleaned 
from  mud  and  dirt : in  short,  the  whole  day  was  spent  in 
getting  ready  to  start  again.  The  next  morning,  however, 
we  mounted  again,  and  no  one  could  notice  that  our  equip- 
ment had  suffered  severely. 

It  was  a \v  arm  afternoon  when  we  cut  off  a large  bend 
which  the  river  described,  and,  riding  over  a grassy  plain, 
got  several  miles  away  from  it.  The  sun  shone  hotly  on 
our  backs  ; the  horses  walked  with  drooping  heads  through 
the  tall  grass ; and  we  jolted  silently  in  our  saddles,  every 
now  and  then  putting  straight  the  embroidered  blankets  on 
which  we  sat,  as  folds  in  them  become  disagreeable  in  hot 
weather.  I was  riding  on  the  left  wing  of  our  cavalcade, 
and  had  turned  to  Trusty,  who  was  stalking  behind  Czar 
with  hanging  tail,  when,  on  looking  across  the  prairie,  I 
fancied  I saw  about  half  a mile  off  two  human  forms  con- 
ceal themselves  in  the  grass.  Without  checking  my  horse, 
I called  Tiger  up,  and  imparted  to  him  what  I fancied  I had 
seen.  He  advised  me  not  to  look  round,  as  he  was  riding 
on  my  right  hand,  and  without  exciting  suspicion,  while 
talking  to  me,  could  keep  in  sight  the  entire  plain  on  our 
left.  We  had  been  riding  on  for  a long  time,  when  Tiger 
suddenly  pulled  round  his  piebald,  and  galloped  across  the 
prairie  in  the  direction  where  I believed  I had  seen  the 
men.  We  stopped  to  look  after  him,  and  watched  him  ride 
through  the  grass,  but  presently  turn  his  horse  towards  us. 
He  told  me  they  were  probably  Blackfoot  Indians : how- 
ever, he  was  of  opinion  that  we  must  be  on  our  guard  here, 
so  that  they  might  not  get  hold  of  any  of  our  horses  ; for 
these  Indians  had  eyes  in  the  darkness,  and  could  walk 
more  softly  than  sleep. 

15 


226 


The  Backwoodsman. 


During  the  following  night,  we  again  encamped  on  the 
river,  and  fastened  our  horses  near  camp,  where  Trusty 
mounted  guard  over  them.  He  appeared  extremely  restless, 
got  up  several  times,  went  growling  round  our  camp,  and 
barked  frequently  ; but  our  rest  was  not  otherwise  disturbed. 
Early  the  next  morning,  as  we  were  folding  up  our  furs, 
Tiger  returned  to  the  fire,  saturated  with  dew.  He  had 
gone  over  the  neighborhood,  and  said  there  was  a number 
of  Blackfeet  close  by : the  dog  had  prevented  them  from 
approaching  our  camp  at  night ; but  they  could  not  be  an 
entire  tribe,  or  else  they  would  have  ventured  an  attack  by 
day.  He  had  found  several  tracks  going  round  our  camp 
at  some  distance. 

We  followed  the  river  to  the  spot  where  the  Medicine-bow 
River  falls  into  it ; and  Tiger  and  Owl  made  an  excursion 
along  its  banks,  and  brought  in  the  news  that  some  forty 
Blackfeet  had  crossed  the  river,  probably  expecting  that  we 
would  follow  the  Platte  farther  up  to  the  Black  Mountains, 
to  watch  for  us,  and  attack  us  in  the  narrow  passes.  They 
told  us  these  enemies  would  not  leave  us  till  we  had  passed 
that  region,  and  we  must  constantly  keep  a watchful  eye  on 
them.  We  camped  on  this  side  of  the  Medicine-bow  River, 
and  talked  over  our  farther  tour  over  the  camp-fire  ; and 
Owl  was  of  opinion  that  we  should  do  better  by  following 
the  course  of  this  river,  and  effecting  our  retreat  through 
Lamarie  Plains,  between  the  Medicine  and  Black  Moun- 
tains, as  on  this  route  we  should  be  less  troubled  by  In- 
dians than  on  the  great  Eastern  Prairies,  and,  with  the 
exception  of  buffaloes  and  wild  horses,  might  expect  to  find 
much  more  game  there.  We  heard  Tiger,  who  was  of  the 
same  opinion,  and  soon  agreed  to  follow  this  road. 

We  fished  in  the  river  till  it  grew  quite  dark,  and  had 
just  put  supper  on  the  fire,  when  Tiger  and  Owl  took 


Ascent  of  the  Bighorn. 


227 


their  rifles,  and,  after  telling  us  to  keep  a bright  look-out 
for  the  Blackfeet,  went  up  the  river,  and-  soon  disappeared. 
I ordered  Konigstein  to  mount  guard  at  the  end  of  the  small 
wood  in  which  we  had  camped,  at  the  spot  where  it  joined 
the  Platte,  and  promised  to  relieve  him  in  an  hour.  We 
thus  changed  sentries  until  about  eleven  o’clock,  when  I re- 
lieved John.  It  was  not  very  dark,  although  the  moon  was 
not  shining ; and,  sitting  on  the  ground,  I could  not  only 
see  across  the  Platte,  but  distinguish  objects  in  the  grass 
for  some  distance.  Trusty  lay  by  my  side,  with  his  head 
resting  on  his  crossed  paws : suddenly,  however,  he  raised 
his  nose,  and  I heard  his  low  growl,  which  I stopped  by  a 
wave  of  my  hand.  He  kept  his  nose  turned  obstinately  up 
stream,  in  which  direction  I also  kept  my  eyes  fixed  on  the 
grass.  I felt  with  the  hand  I had  laid  on  Trusty  that  his 
attention  was  growing  greater ; for  he  began  trembling 
all  over,  which  he  did  when  he  was  forced  to  master  his 
growing  excitement. 

Still  I could  not  distinguish  any  thing  that  appeared  to 
me  strange.  The  grass  in  front  of  me  was  not  tall,  and 
there  were  but  few  patches  of  scrub.  All  at  once  I fancied 
that  a bush,  about  fifty  yards  from  me,  had  moved  ; but  it 
might  be  imagination,  as  I had  been  gazing  at  it  so  intently. 
A profound  silence  brooded  over  the  landscape,  which  was 
only  interrupted  by  the  continuous  monotonous  rustling  of 
the  river.  In  our  camp  no  voice  was  audible  ; and  the 
bright  fire,  which  had  lit  up  the  surrounding  trees  and 
bushes,  had  burned  down,  and  only  indicated  its  position  bv 
a glimmering  light.  When  I took  my  post  half  an  hour 
previously,  Owl  and  Tiger  had  not  returned,  and  since  then 
I had  not  heard  them  arrive.  The  air  was  very  damp  and 
cold,  and  the  grass  around  me  felt  quite  wet.  I now  fan- 
cied I could  be  certain  that  the  bush  had  moved.  I rose  a 


228 


The  Backwoodsman. 


little,  and  looked  at  it  more  sharply : it  moved  again,  and  a 
dark  object,  in  the  shape  of  a large  stone,  slowly  rose  out 
of  the  grass.  Now  I could  entertain  no  doubt  it  was  a liv- 
ing creature  ; but  what  could  it  be?  That  was  a matter  of 
indifference  to  me,  so  long  as  it  was  not  either  Tiger  or 
Owl,  and  they  would  not  approach  our  camp  so  cautiously 
and  suspiciously.  It  could  be  none  but  a Blackfoot.  I 
rose  on  one  knee,  cautiously  lifted  my  rifle,  and  aimed,  as 
well  as  1 could  for  the  darkness,  at  the  object  whose  indis- 
tinct outline  now  covered  nearly  the  whole  bush. 

Bang ! the  flame  flashed  from  the  rifle  ; and  a hollow 
plump  into  the  river  followed  a few  seconds  later,  before 
the  smoke  had  risen  on  the  damp  atmosphere.  I looked  at 
the  dark,  shining  surface  of  the  water,  and  noticed  that 
large  circles  surrounded  a black  spot,  and  were  moving 
with  it  towards  the  middle  of  the  stream.  I fired  my  sec- 
ond barrel  at  it : I clearly  saw  through  the  gloom  that  the 
motion  of  the  water  became  very  violent  at  the  moment, 
but  then  it  was  all  over ; and  the  next  minute  the  current 
flowed  on  as  usual,  and  nothing  on  its  surface  revealed  what 
was  passing  in  its  depths.  I had  scarce  fired  the  second  shot 
when  my  comrades  dashed  up  under  arms.  I quickly  told 
them  what  had  happened  ; and  we  remained  under  arms, 
awaiting  the  return  of  our  Indians,  of  whom  we  had  as  yet 
heard  nothing.  About  an  hour  later,  they  returned  ; and 
Tiger  at  once  asked  why  we  had  been  firing : then  he  told 
us  what  had  happened  to  him,  and  that  my  shots  had  robbed 
them  of  several  Blackfeet  scalps.  They  had  crossed  the 
river  a little  higher  up,  at  a point  where  it  was  shallow, 
and  lay  down  on  its  banks,  as  they  expected  that  the  sav- 
ages would  return  during  the  night  to  try  and  get  hold  of 
our  horses.  Shortly  before  I fired,  Tiger  had  heard  and 
seen  the  branches  of  a neighboring  bush  parted  ; but  after 


Ascent  of  the  Bighorn. 


229 


that  all  became  quiet  again.  Tiger  fancied  that  their  num- 
ber was  considerable  ; but  we  had  nothing  more  to  fear 
from  them  on  this  night,  and  could  go  to  sleep  in  peace. 
However,  we  posted  sentries  till  daybreak,  when  I and 
Tiger  examined  the  spot  at  which  I had  fired.  We  found 
that  my  bullet  had  cut  away  a spray  in  the  centre  of  the 
bush,  and  noticed  the  track  of  an  Indian,  which  was  dis- 
tinctly marked  on  the  bank  ; and  Tiger  recognized  it  as  that 
of  a Blackfoot.  Owl  swam  across  the  river,  and  examined 
the  opposite  shore  to  see  whether  he  had  landed  there,  but 
could  not  discover  any  sign,  ^nd,  pointing  to  the  river, 
supposed  he  was  sleeping  under  that. 

We  slept  quietly  till  eight  o’clock,  then  breakfasted,  and 
packed  our  animals  so  as  to  continue  our  journey  on  the 
new  plan.  Tiger  said  that  the  Blackfeet  would  be  cheated 
out  of  a day,  for  they  were  awaiting  us  farther  down  the 
Platte  ; and,  if  they  had  not  their  horses  with  them,  they 
could  not  catch  us  up  before  morning.  If  their  number  was 
large,  however,  as  he  believed,  they  had  their  horses  with 
them,  and  would  be  camping  in  the  thickets  on  the  opposite 
side  of  Medicine-bow  River.  It  was  nearly  noon  when  we 
struck  camp  and  marched  up  the  river.  After  riding  past  a 
stony  knoll,  round  which  the  river  described  a short  curve, 
we  reached  a stream  flowing  between  deep  banks,  which  fell 
into  the  Platte,  and  was  densely  overgrown  with  alders. 
The  spot  pleased  us  to  spend  the  night  at ; and  we  were  en- 
gaged in  unpacking  our  cattle,  when  suddenly  a fearful  yell 
rang  behind  us,  which  came  towards  us,  accompanied  by  a 
dense  cloud  of  dust.  “The  Blackfeet!”  all  shouted,  and  seized 
their  weapons.  Tiger,  however,  shouted  to  us  to  follow  him, 
as  he  led  his  piebald  through  the  alders  into  the  stream  ; and 
the  next  minute  all  the  cattle  were  left  in  charge  of  Anto- 
nio, who  fastened  them  to  the  bushes. 


230 


The  Backwoodsman. 


We  had  scarce  returned  to  the  bank  when  a body  of  forty 
Indians  dashed  up  to  us  like  a tornado  : lying  behind  their 
horses’  necks,  and  covering  their  left  side  with  their  large 
shields,  they  allowed  a.  very  small  portion  of  their  bodies  to 
be  seen.  We  permitted  them  to  come  within  fifty  yards 
before  we  fired.  The  band  hesitated  ; and  we  saw  through 
the  dust  several  horses  lying  on  the  ground,  and  many  of 
the  horsemen  engaged  in  taking  others  up  behind  them, 
while  the  greater  number  galloped  back  to  the  hill,  and  ut- 
tered a frightful  yell.  They  had  not  galloped  far,  however, 
when  one  of  them,  mounted  on  a powerful  black  horse, 
darted  to  their  head,  and,  casting  himself  in  their  way, 
swung  his  long  lance  before  them.  His  horse  reared  in 
front  of  the  flying  horde,  and  the  thundering  voice  of  the 
leader  distinctly  reached  us  through  the  yelling.  At  the 
next  instant  the  band  turned  back,  with  the  warrior  on 
the  black  horse  in  front  of  them.  We  had  reloaded ; and  I 
shouted  to  my  comrades  to  expend  but  one  bullet,  and  re- 
serve the  other  for  shorter  range.  The  savages  had  galloped 
up  to  within  about  the  same  distance  as  before,  when  I 
shouted,  “ Fire  ! ” and  aimed  myself  at  the  leader  of  the  band. 
The  black  horse  reared,  and  fell  over  with  its  rider ; while 
another  horse  fell  dead  by  its  side,  whose  rider  ran  with  the 
speed  of  an  arrow  after  his  comrades,  who  were  now  flying 
in  the  utmost  confusion.  The  rider  of  the  black  horse,  how- 
ever, had  scarce  fallen  with  it  ere  he  crept  from  under  it ; 
and,  at  the  same  instant,  we  saw  Tiger  leap  out  of  the  wil- 
low-bushes on  the  river  bank,  and,  swinging  his  tomahawk, 
catch  up  the  Blackfoot  warrior  with  a few  leaps.  The  lat- 
ter fell  back  a pace,  and  threw  his  iron  axe  at  Tiger  with 
such  force,  that,  missing  its  mark,  it  flew  far  out  into  the 
river.  Tiger  now  buried  his  axe  with  lightning  speed  in 
the  chest  of  his  recoiling  foe,  and  both  fell  to  the  ground 


Ascent  of  the  Bighorn. 


231 


like  two  intertwined  snakes.  It  was  the  work  of  a few 
minutes  ; and  the  yell  of  the  flying  Indians  was  still  ringing 
in  our  ears  when  we  dashed  up  to  the  combatants  in  order 
to  help  Tiger.  It  was  no  longer  necessary,  however  ; for  he 
rose  from  off  his  lifeless  foe,  and,  setting  his  knee  on  the 
other’s  bent-back  neck,  he  passed  his  knife  round  the  head, 
and  tore  off  his  scalp.  During  this  time,  Owl  had  scalped 
the  other  Blackfoot ; and  our  Indians  danced  frantically 
round  the  dead  men,  waving  the  reeking  scalps  and  knives, 
while  the  blood  poured  down  Tiger’s  back  from  a gaping 
wound  in  his  left  shoulder.  At  length  they  concluded  their 
dance  of  victory,  and  then  our  Indians  plundered  their  slain 
foes  and  the  dead  horses.  The  dress  of  these  Blackfeet  is 
made  of  leather,  with  remarkable  taste,  adorned  with  paint- 
ings and  long  fringes,  porcupine-quills,  shells,  scalp-locks, 
and  colored  pebbles  : the  leather  is  smoked  of  a very  dark 
hue,  and  gives  the  savages  a gloomy  and  terrifying  aspect. 
Their  weapons  are  lances,  bows  and  arrows,  tomahawks,  and 
knives  : only  a few  have  fire-arms. 

I examined  Tiger’s  wound,  which  had  only  cut  the  flesh 
„ obliquely,  and  was  produced  by  his  enemy’s  knife  ; while 
the  latter  had  a bullet  through  his  left  thigh,  a gaping  wound 
in  his  chest,  and  a stab  in  his  heart.  Tiger  had  run  down 
to  the  willows  on  the  river,  without  our  noticing  him,  after 
the  first  attack  of  the  Blackfeet,  and  had  thence  fired  at  the 
chief,  whom  he  afterwards  killed  with  his  knife.  “ Now,” 
he  said,  “ we  can  sleep.  The  Blackfeet  have  lost  their  head, 
and  will  go  home  and  tell  how  the  Delawares  have  some 
more  of  their  scalps  in  their  tents  : their  squaws  will  not 
even  take  their  dead  with  them,  and  not  let  them  sleep  with 
their  fathers.” 

We  camped  close  to  the  stream,  but  posted  sentries  all 
through  the  night,  as  I feared  lest  we  might  have  to  oppose 


232 


The  Backwoodsman. 


a nocturnal  surprise.  The  night,  however,  passed  undis-r 
turbed ; but  we  heard  incessantly  a fearful  yelling  of 
wolves,  which  prowled  round  our  camp,  but,  owing  to  the 
huge  fire,  did  not  dare  approach  the  corpses,  which  lay  not 
far  from  us  in  the  grass.  The  next  morning  we  quitted  the 
spot,  for  which  movement  the  numerous  wolves  were 
watching ; and  they  attacked  the  dead  Indians  and  horses 
almost  before  we  had  crossed  the  stream. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 


ON  THE  PRAIRIE. 

We  hastened  up  the  river  for  five  days,  during  which 
time  we  crossed  a number  of  small  streams  which  fell  into 
it.  Then  we  reached  the  eastern  spurs  of  the  Medicine 
Mountains,  in  which  the  river  rises,  and  pours  over  the 
rocks  in  the  shape  of  a large  torrent.  Here  we  crossed  it ; 
and,  following  the  base  of  these  hills  in  the  plain,  we  reached, 
on  the  second  evening,  a small  stream,  which  flows  for  at 
least  a hundred  miles  due  east  through  this  broad  plain. 
Here  we  refreshed  ourselves  and  camped,  though  it  was 
early  in  the  afternoon,  and  amused  ourselves  with  shooting 
geese  and  swans.  On  the  next  evening  we  came  to  a sim- 
ilar lake,  with  fresh-water  streams  on  its  western  side,  so 
that  we  again  had  a splendid  camp,  and  took  advantage  of 
the  opportunity  to  bathe  in  the  lake. 

During  the  next  day  our  road  again  ran  over  a desolate, 
melancholy  plain  ; but  towards  evening  we  saw  a low  wood 
in  the  distance,  and  reached  another  arm  of  the  river  which 
runs  through  the  Black  Mountains  to  Fort  Lamar ie. 

The  next  morning  we  left  the  river  and  went  south,  and 
for  the  whole  day  without  finding  water.  The  sun  sank  be- 
hind the  hills,  and  nowhere  was  there  a tree  or  a sign  of 
water.  The  grass,  too,  was  bad  ; but  our  cattle  were  very 
weary,  and  we,  too,  longed  for  rest.  We  made  a poor  fire 
of  hois  de  vache  and  small  bushes,  large  enough  to  cook  our 
supper : then  we  put  up  our  tents,  and  secured  our  traps 

233 


234 


The  Backwoodsman. 


under  the  tarpaulin  on  a bed  of  stones ; for  the  sky  was 
overcast,  and  led  to  expectation  of  rain.  At  nightfall  it 
began  to  blow  and  rain,  and  went  on  the  whole  night  till 
daybreak,  when  the  clouds  gathered  together  again,  and, 
hanging  on  the  base  of  the  mountains,  displayed  the  snow- 
peaks  brilliantly  illumined  by  the  sun.  We  quickly  started, 
and  marched  from  this  disagreeable  spot,  looking  for  pleas- 
anter signs  ahead.  At  length,  towards  noon,  wood  rose 
again  from  the  barren  surface.  We  drove  our  animals  into 
a quicker  pace  ; and,  in  a few  hours,  were  resting  again  on 
a river  fringed  by  trees,  upon  glorious  grass,  which  our 
starving  cattle  eagerly  devoured.  It  was  still  very  early, 
and  we  all  felt  inclined  to  go  hunting,  as  the  rain  had  re- 
freshed the  country ; and  the  verdure  of  the  forest  and  the 
meadow  does  the  eyesight  good.  A few  preferred  fishing  in 
the  neighboring  stream : several  went  up  the  river  to  hunt, 
while  I went  down  it,  accompanied  by  Trusty  only.  I had 
gone  about  a couple  of  miles  along  the  skirt  of  the  wood, 
when  I saw  something  moving  on  the  prairie  behind  some 
very  low  bushes.  I crept  cautiously  up  to  the  last  bush, 
and  before  me  stood,  at  about  the  distance  of  a hundred  and 
twenty  yards,  a herd  of  some  forty  large  and  old  giant  stags. 
The  beautiful  animals,  the  pride  of  the  animal  world,  stood 
in  a long  line  before  me,  with  their  faces  turned  to  me,  and 
raised  their  powerful  antlers  like  a forest  of  horns.  It  was 
a sight  whose  beauty  only  a sportsman  can  estimate.  I lay 
for  some  minutes  lost  in  contemplation  ; but,  when  I raised 
my  knee  and  rifle,  the  whole  herd  turned  and  galloped  past 
me.  I had  long  had  my  eye  on  the  largest  stag  ; for  its  ant- 
lers rose  far  above  the  others  with  their  broad  lines.  I 
aimed  behind  the  shoulder,  and  fired ; heard  the  bullet  dis- 
tinctly go  home,  and  saw,  that,  though  it  was  bleeding  pro- 
fusely, it  kept  up  with  the  others.  The  next  largest  stag 


I 


On  the  Prairie.  235 

being  just  behind  this  one,  I fired  the  second  barrel  at  it ; 
heard  the  thud  of  the  bullet  again,  and  saw  that  it  was  mor- 
tally wounded  ; but  it,  too,  remained  in  line,  and  I watched 
the  stags  till  they  disappeared  a long  way  off  in  a hollow. 

I loaded  ; and,  on  reaching  the  spot  where  the  stags  were 
hit,  Trusty  at  once  put  his  nose  to  the  blood-trail  and 
stopped,  looking  up  at  me.  I made  him  a sign  that  it  was 
all  right ; and,  when  he  had  gone  a little  distance,  he  went 
off  slightly  to  the  right,  took  up  the  trail  of  the  second  stag, 
and  then  again  pointed  with  his  nose  to  the  ground,  while 
looking  at  me  inquiringly.  I again  urged  him  on  ; and  he 
went  first  to  one  trail,  then  to  the  other,  till  I was  able  to 
look  down  into  the  valley,  where  I saw  the  two  stags  lying 
dead,  hardly  ten  yards  apart.  I hastened  up  to  them,  and 
counted,  on  the  antlers  of  the  largest,  eight  and  thirty  tines, 
and  on  the  smaller  one  six  and  twenty : the  length  of  the 
two  antlers  was  between  five  and  six  feet ; and  their  weight, 
between  thirty  and  forty  pounds.  After  looking  at  them  for 
a while  in  delight,  I broke  them  up,  gave  Trusty  his  share, 
cut  out  a couple  of  grinders  as  a recollection,  and  then  went 
back  to  camp,  when  my  comrades  were  equally  pleased  at 
the  result  of  my  sport.  The  other  hunters  had  also  been 
fortunate,  and  had  killed  a fat  buffalo,  while  the  anglers  had 
pulled  a number  of  large  fish  out  of  the  river.  Owl  went 
with  Antonio  and  Konigstein  to  my  stags,  in  order  to  fetch 
their  skins  and  meat ; and  I requested  them  to  bring  me  the 
antlers  of  the  largest  one,  as  I wished,  were  it  possible,  to 
carry  them  home.  Though  we  liked  the  place  so  much,  we 
left  it  again  next  morning,  abundantly  supplied  with  the 
best  game  ; and  Jack  trotted  after  us,  with  the  enormous 
antlers  on  the  top  of  his  packages. 

Before  us  the  valley  wound  between  partly  wooded  low 
hills,  behind  which  the  higher  base  now  rose.  For  several 


236 


The  Backwoodsman . 


days  we  marched  along  this  valley,  till  on  one  afternoon  we 
looked  down  from  a hill  on  the  blue  crystalline  waters  of 
the  Southern  Platte,  which,  coming  down  from  the  Medicine 
Hills,  rustled  through  the  valley  at  our  feet.  The  river  was 
large  even  here,  and  shot,  with  the  speed  that  characterizes 
the  streams  in  this  country,  and  with  many  windings,  between 
its  wood-clad  banks.  Before  us,  where  the  river  described 
a sharp  curve,  the  banks  were  stony  on  both  sides,  and 
seemed,  from  time  immemorial,  to  have  been  used  by  the 
inhabitants  of  these  countries  as  a ford.  At  this  moment, 
when,  probably  for  the  first  time,  the  eyes  of  white  men 
rested  on  this  ford,  a countless  herd  of  buffaloes  was  occu- 
pied in  crossing.  They  were  coming  southward  from  the 
mountains,  and  pressed  shoulder  to  shoulder  in  dense  masses 
to  water  in  the  river ; while  others  came  down  the  hills  in 
a black  line.  The  roars  of  these  thirsty  wanderers  filled  the 
air,  and  rang  through  the  hills  in  a thousand  echoes.  They 
dashed  by  hundreds  impetuously  from  the  high  bank  into 
the  deep,  rapid  stream,  on  either  side  of  the  ford,  and  drifted 
with  it  into  the  dark  overarching  wood.  We  stopped  for  a 
long  time,  gazing  down  at  this  scene,  and  awaiting  the  end 
of  the  herd,  whose  head  had  disappeared  some  time  previ- 
ously in  the  valley  on  our  left,  while  dense  masses  still 
continued  to  pour  down  without  a check  from  the  hills  to 
the  water.  At  length,  at  the  end  of  an  hour,  only  a few 
laggards  came,  after  at  least  five  thousand  buffaloes  had 
crossed  the  river  ; and  yet  the  number  of  these  animals  is 
said  to  be  quite  insignificant  compared  with  what  it  was 
twenty  years  ago.  We  were  obliged  to  let  the  wanderers 
pass,  as  we  also  wanted  to  cross  the  river,  though  in  the 
opposite  direction  ; and  we  should  have  run  a risk  of  the 
whole  herd  marching  over  us,  had  wo  got  in  their  way. 
We  now  rode  down  into  the  river;  but,  although  so  great 


Buffaloes  crossing  a River.  Page  236. 


. 


■ 


1 - M 


On  the  Prairie. 


237 


a number  of  huge  animals  had  passed  through  it,  the  water 
was  as  clear  and  bright  as  if  a stone  had  never  been  stirred 
on  its  bottom.  We  watered  our  cattle,  and  followed  the 
path  by  which  the  buffaloes  had  found  their  way  to  this 
ford,  on  the  supposition  that  they  had  rendered  it  quite  pas- 
sable, and  that  they  had  come  from  the  southern  prairies  to 
which  we  were  bound. 

We  had  scaled  the  first  hill,  when  we  saw,  about  two 
miles  off,  a few  buffaloes  trotting  towards  us,  which  had 
probably  lagged  behind,  and  now  wanted  to  catch  up  with 
the  herd.  We  rode,  about  thirty  yards  off  the  path,  to  a spot 
where  we  were  covered  by  rocks,  and  commanded  the  slop- 
ing path  down  to  the  water.  Ere  long  we  heard  the  heavy 
trot  of  the  approaching  animals  on  the  stony  ground  ; and 
presently  several  cows,  and  behind  them  a fat  old  bull, 
came  past  us.  We  all  fired  together ; and  the  old  bull 
rolled  over  and  over  down  the  slope,  and  lay  dead  at  the 
bottom.  We  took,  as  usual,  its  tongue,  marrow-bones,  and 
loins,  and  left  the  rest  to  those  that  came  after  us. 

We  could  not  have  found  a finer  road  through  these  hills  : 
broad  and  trodden  smooth,  it  wound  along  the  crags,  so  that 
we  were  often  able  to  advance  at  a quick  amble.  It  fre- 
quently ran  over  dizzy  precipices,  whence  we  surveyed  the 
pleasant  valleys,  whose  dark  shadow  seemed  to  invite  us ; 
while  the  hot  sun,  and  its  reflection  from  the  bare  rocks 
over  which  we  were  marching,  was  hardly  rendered  endura- 
ble by  the  fresh  breeze  blowing  up  here.  We  crossed  a 
number  of  small  streams,  which  came  down  from  the  west- 
ern hills,  and  all  flowed  to  the  Platte,  until,  at  the  end  of  a 
week,  we  again  reached  the  latter  river  at  the  point  where 
a large  affluent,  coming  from  the  Bighorn,  joined  it. 

We  crossed  this  southern  arm  of  the  Platte,  and  camped 
on  the  other  side  of  it,  in  order  to  grant  our  cattle  a few 


238 


The  Backwoodsman. 


days’  rest  there,  where  the  most  splendid  grass,  and  a cool, 
thick  wood,  covered  its  bank. 

Our  horses  and  pack-cattle  were  recruited,  and  we,  too, 
had  recovered  from  the  fatigue  of  our  journey  over  the  las,t 
mountains : hence  we  set  out  again,  and,  casting  many  a 
parting  glance  at  the  Bighorn,  we  followed  the  Platte  in  an 
eastern  direction,  till  at  noon  we  reached  a well-trodden  path 
which  runs  from  Fort  St.  Brain  on  the  southern  arm  of  this 
river  down  to  the  Missouri.  We  crossed  it,  and  proceeded 
more  to  the  south-west,  in  order  to  escape  the  numerous 
Indian  hordes  going  up  and  down  this  path.  A few  days 
after,  we  crossed  the  hills  we  had  seen  from  our  last  camp ; 
and  the  sky  now  rested  before  us  on  the  interminable  horizon 
of  the  prairie. 

For  nearly  a week  we  marched  over  this  green  plain 
with  scarce  any  change  in  the  scene.  At  length  hills  rose 
on  the  horizon  ; and  we  soon  saw  again  the  darker  verdure 
of  forests,  which  received  us  into  their  shady  gloom  towards 
evening.  In  this  tour  we  were  so  broiled  by  the  sun  that 
we  entered  the  wood  with  delight,  and  at  once  resolved  to 
rest  a few  days  here,  if,  as  we  anticipated,  there  was  water 
at  hand.  We  hurried  along  a buffalo-path  into  the  depths 
of  the  forest,  and  soon  heard  to  our  delight  the  rustling  of  a 
neighboring  river,  whose  banks  we  speedily  reached  ; and  it 
proved  to  be  a rapidly  flowing  stream  overhung  by  tall 
ferns.  We  unloaded  our  cattle  in  a small  clearing  off  our 
path,  lit  a fire,  and  really  built  tabernacles,  as  we  made  a 
roof  of  bushes  between  several  young  oaks,  which  kept  off 
every  sunbeam,  and  in  whose  immediate  vicinity  were  trees 
enough  to  tie  up  our  cattle  every  night. 

After  resting  our  cattle  for  some  days,  I went  out  one 
morning  after  breakfast  to  hunt,  and  have  a nearer  view  of 
the  country  round.  I rode  in  a southern  direction,  followed 


On  the  Prairie. 


239 


by  Trusty,  and,  in  going  off,  said  to  my  comrades,  that,  if  I 
lost  my  way,  I would  follow  the  course  of  one  of  these 
streams  till  it  joined  the  river ; then  I would  wait  till  they 
came  to  me,  in  which  they  could  not  fail,  as  we  knew  that 
all  these  small  streams  joined. 

In  a few  hours  I had  crossed  several  of  these  streams,  and 
had  ridden  out  of  a wood  into  a small  prairie  glade,  when 
suddenly  a horse  Indian  darted  towards  me  with  a furious 
yell  from  a thicket  of  tall  oaks,  and  swung  his  bow  over  his 
head,  while  his  long  lance  hung  on  his  right  arm.  It  was  too 
late  to  dismount  and  make  use  of  my  rifle.  I quickly  drew 
my  revolver,  put  Czar  at  a gallop,  and  flew  towards  the  In- 
dian, turning  my  horse  to  the  left,  as  he  on  his  right  side 
could  make  less  use  of  his  bow  than  I could  of  my  revolver. 
However,  he  soon  perceived  my  object,  and  guided  his  chest- 
nut to  get  on  my  left  hand  ; aud  we  galloped  on  in  the  same 
direction  some  distance  out  of  shot.  Suddenly,  however,  he 
turned  and  dashed  towards  me,  with  his  bow  raised  over 
the  head  of  his  rapid  steed.  I,  too,  had  urged  Czar  to  his 
full  speed  ; aud,  when  we  were  about  sixty  yards  apart,  I 
fired.  I had  not  expected  to  hit ; still  it  was  possible  ; and 
I had  five  shots  left  in  my  weapon.  The  savage’s  horse 
leaped  on  one  side,  stumbled,  and  fell  forward  on  its  chest. 
A few  blows  of  the  whip  forced  it  to  make  a last  effort ; but 
it  then  sank  lifeless  under  its  rider,  who  disappeared  like 
lightning  in  the  not  very  high  grass  behind  it. 

At  the  moment  when  I saw  his  horse  fall,  I turned  mine 
away,  and  pulled  up  about  one  hundred  yards  distant.  The 
horse  lay  with  its  back  turned  to  me,  and  the  Indian  was 
concealed  behind  its  belly.  I took  out  my  telescope  to  try 
and  get  a better  sight  of  my  enemy : but  it  was  of  no  use  ; 
he  had  disappeared.  All  at  once  I saw  an  arrow  shoot  up 
behind  the  horse,  and  fly  towards  me  in  a large  curve  ; but 


240 


The  Backwoodsman. 


I easily  pulled  Czar  out  of  its  way,  and  it  sank  harmless  by 
my  side,  with  its  point  in  the  grass.  While  the  Indian  was 
firing  the  arrow,  I distinctly  saw  his  hands  holding  the  bow 
projecting  above  the  horse’s  belly.  I leapt  from  Czar’s 
back,  threw  the  bridle  over  his  shoulder,  and  fired  with  my 
rifle  at  the  horse’s  back.  I heard  the  thud  of  the  bullet ; but 
the  savage  did  not  show  himself.  I reloaded  both  rifle  and 
revolver,  and  walked  at  the  same  distance  round  the  dead 
horse  till  I got  to  the  side  on  which  its  hind-quarters  lay. 
I could  now  look  under  its  belly,  and  saw  the  Indian  creep 
under  the  animal’s  chest,  and  roll  himself  up  behind  it  in  a 
ball : still,  the  surface  by  which  he  was  hidden  was  now  too 
small  to  cover  him  entirely,  and  I could  distinguish  the 
upper  part  of  his  body.  I fired  again,  and  noticed  a quick, 
convulsive  movement  on  the  part  of  the  foe,  but  only  at  the 
moment  of  firing.  I had  recourse  to  my  glass  once  more, 
and  saw  that  his  head  was  now  under  the  horse’s  chest,  but 
his  legs  lay  behind  its  neck,  and  he  was  peeping  at  me  be- 
tween its  forelegs.  I reloaded,  and  now,  having  become 
much  calmer,  I aimed  again  at  my  mark.  I fired,  and  at 
once  saw  the  savagoF  throw  up  his  legs,  then  try  to  rise,  but 
fall  back  again.  I drew  closer  to  him,  and  watched  him 
through  the  glass,  as  he  had  got  a little  way  from  the  horse. 
He  did  not  stir,  and  lay  on  his  back  ; but  he  was  an  Indian, 
and  such  a man  a white  man  must  not  trust  even  in  death. 
I fired  again,  and  heard  my  bullet  go  home  ; but  he  remained 
motionless.  After  reloading,  I walked  with  cocked  rifle 
nearer,  and  found  that  life  had  left  him,  and  that  he  had  my 
second  bullet  in  his  right  hip,  the  third  in  his  head  over  the 
right  ear,  and  the  last  in  his  chest ; while  I found  one  bullet 
in  the  horse’s  chest,  and  another  in  its  back.  I only  gazed 
for  a few  minutes  at  the  corpse,  took  his  bow,  and  quiver  of 
arrows,  hung  them  on  my  horse,  and  speedily  beat  a retreat, 


On  the  Prairie. 


241 


as  the  comrades  the  dead  man  were  certainly  not  far  off, 
and  might  very  easily  be  on  the  road  to  the  spot,  guided  by 
my  shots.  I rode  back  on  my  trail,  and  soon  reached  camp, 
when  I told  my  friends  what  had  happened. 

Tiger  was  out  hunting,  and  not  yet  returned.  I ordered 
a rapid  start,  had  the  horses  packed,  and  every  thing  ready 
to  be  off.  We  had  scarce  completed  our  preparations,  when 
Tiger,  bathed  in  perspiration,  came  back  along  my  track, 
and  said  he  had  heard  my  shots,  followed  their  direction, 
and  found  the  Indian  and  his  horse.  He  was  a Pawnee, 
whose  tribe  was  certainly  close  at  hand  ; and  when  his 
companions  missed  him  they  would  seek  him,  and  easily 
find  us  too  ; in  which  case  we  should  run  a great  danger,  as 
they  were  brave  men.  He  quickly  packed  his  horse,  and 
in  a few  minutes  we  left  camp.  Tiger  rode  ahead  into  the 
stream,  and  we  followed  him,  riding  singly  down  the  water, 
which  offered  us  no  obstacles  beyond  here  and  there  a fallen 
tree,  as  it  ran  over  pebbles,  was  nowhere  deep,  and  had  flat 
banks.  Evening  arrived,  and  the  sun  was  already  low  on 
the  western  horizon.  We  marched  almost  constantly  in 
the  stream,  till  we  found  on  its  right  bank  a wide  plain 
covered  with  pebbles,  when  we  turned  off  to  the  south  at  a 
right  angle.  We  reached  on  the  other  side  of  the  plain  a 
similar  stream,  which  was  also  overshadowed  by  trees  ; en- 
tered a thicket,  and  dismounted  to  let  our  horses  graze 
without  unsaddling  them,  and  to  await  nightfall.  The 
moon  was  already  up  ; and,  though  her  light  did  not  bril- 
liantly illumine  the  country,  it  was  sufficiently  strong  to 
enable  us  to  distinguish  objects  at  a slight  distance.  We 
then  left  our  hiding-place,  marched  out  of  the  thicket  into 
the  prairie,  and  urged  our  horses  on  at  a quick  pace. 
Without  interruption,  we  hurried  on  through  the  silence  of 
the  night,  which  was  only  disturbed  by  the  howling  of  the 
16 


242 


The  Backwoodsman. 


countless  wolves,  and  the  roar  of  the  buffaloes  we  put  up, 
until,  shortly  before  daybreak,  the  moon  withdrew  her  light 
from  us,  and  the  darkness  did  not  allow  us  to  advance. 
We  sat  down  on  the  damp  grass  round  our  cattle,  and 
waited  till  the  first  new  light  appeared  on  the  eastern  hori- 
zon ; then  we  remounted,  and  hurried  on  towards  a distant 
strip  of  wood  which  rose  before  us  on  the  prairie.  The  sun 
was  standing  high  in  the  heavens  when  we  reached  it, 
and  led  our  wearied  animals  to  a stream.  Here  we  un- 
saddled, and  let  them  graze,  hobbled,  in  a small  glade, 
while  we  prepared  breakfast  at  a small  fire. 

We  were  very  tired,  and,  after  the  meal,  could  hardly 
keep  awake.  We  posted  sentries  in  turn  to  watch  the  plain 
behind  us,  and  kept  lively  by  smoking,  and  telling  stories. 
Our  cattle  wanted  sleep  more  than  "^rass,  and  we  were  sorry 
at  being  obliged  to  saddle  them  after  a short  rest ; but  Ti- 
ger and  Owl  insisted  on  our  going  on,  as  we  were  certainly 
pursued  by  the  Pawnees,  and  could  only  escape  them  by 
keeping  the  start  we  had  on  them.  It  was  hardly  noon 
when  we  started  again,  and  spurred  our  horses  on  towards 
the  southern  prairie.  They  only  moved  because  they  felt 
the  sharp  steel  in  their  sides  ; and  wTe  were  obliged  to  lead  the 
mules  by  lassoes,  and  appoint  a man  to  drive  them,  as  they 
refused  to  follow.  The  heat  was  oppressive  ; there  was  not 
a breath  of  air ; and  the  plants-  on  the  plain  we  crossed 
hung  their  leaves  in  exhaustion  ; an  incessant  buzzing  of  the 
insects  in  the  grass  tilled  the  motionless  air  ; aud  a trembling, 
dazzling  light  lay  on  the  wide  expanse  around  us.  The 
sweat  rau  in  streams  from  our  cattle,  and  was  mixed  with 
the  blood  which  the  countless  mosquitoes  sucked  from  their 
coat,  so  that  under  their  belly  their  color  could  not  be  dis- 
tinguished. But,  not  noticing  their  sufferings  or  fatigue,  we 
urged  ?hem  ou,  and  looked  back  at  the  distant  horizon  to 


On  the  Prairie . 


243 


/ 

see  whether  our  pursuers  appeared  on  it,  till  the  sun  sank, 
and  in  the  distance  a wood  rose,  which  crossed  the  prairie 
to  the  east  like  a mist.  Tiger  said  that  we  should  be  safe 
there  : this  was  the  wood  running  along  the  Arkansas,  and 
the  horses  of  the  Pawnees  could  not  go  so  far  without  a 
rest.  The  sun  mercifully  withdrew  his  beams  ; and  the 
moon’s  cool  light  showed  us  our  road,  when  we  expended 
the  last  strength  of  our  cattle,  and  so  reached  the  forest. 

We  had  ridden  over  fifty  miles  since  yesterday  morn- 
ing,  a greater  part  of  the  distance  without  any  path,  through 
rather  tall  grass,  and  over  stony  soil.  On  the  whole  route 
we  had  been  exposed  to  the  burning  sun,  and  only  once  had 
been  able  to  cool  our  fevered  lips  at  a stream.  We  rode 
into  the  wood,  and  followed  a buffalo-path,  but  had  not 
ridden  far,  when  Tiger,  who  wras  ahead,  stopped,*  saying  he 
had  lost  the  path,  and  could  go  no  farther.  The  foliage 
over  us  was  so  thick,  that  only  here  and  there  the  moon’s 
pale  light  stole  through  it,  and  only  a few  leaves  and  small 
spots  on  the  branches  glistened  like  silver  in  the  obscurity. 
We  turned  our  horses  in  all  directions,  seeking  the  path  ; 
but,  after  going  a few  yards,  were  continually  stopped  by 
the  hanging  Creepers.  Tiger  now  leapt  from  his  horse,  and 
sought  in  the  darkness  dry  grass,  which  he  twisted  into  a 
torch,  and  came  to  me  to  light  it.  It  soon  spread  a light 
< around  ; and  while  I held  it  up,  Tiger  collected  a larger  stock 
of  dry  grass,  and  made  a thicker  torch,  which  we  lit,  and 
soon  found  an  issue  from  this  impenetrable  thicket. 

We  soon  reached  a small  arm  of  the  Arkansas,  on  whose 
fresh,  cool  water  we  and  our  cattle  fell  insanely.  We  now 
lit  a fire,  though  there  was  no  graos  for  the  cattle  near  at 
hand,  as  the  small,  open  spot  on  the  bank  of  ;the  rushing 
stream  was  surrounded  by  a dense  wall  of  forest.  At  this 
moment,  however,  rest  was  more  necessary  than  food  ; and 


244 


The  Backwoodsman. 


our  cattle  had  scarce  been  freed  from  their  load,  when  they 
all  sank  on  the  ground,  and  fell  into  a deep  sleep  : we  did 
the  same,  and,  after  drinking  several  draughts,  fell  back 
on  our  saddles,  and  forgot  that  we  still  stood  a risk  of  being 
caught  up  by  the  Pawnees.  We  had  collected  our  fire  into 
a small  pile,  so  that  it  only  coaled,  and  spread  no  light  over 
the  crests  of  the  tall  trees,  which  might  possibly  have  been 
noticed  from  the  prairie.  We  slept,  without  moving  a limb, 
till  the  turkeys  in  our  neighborhood  awoke  us  ; and,  though 
Tiger  and  Owl  protested  most  strongly  against  it,  we  shot 
four  of  the  birds,  resolved  to  defend  ourselves  to  the  best  of 
our  ability  if  the  shots  betrayed  us  to  our  pursuers. 

Tiger  now  mounted  his  piebald,  rode  through  the  river, 
and  soon  disappeared  in  the  forest  on  the  other  bank,  where 
he  sought  pasture  for  our  cattle.  In  half  an  hour  he  re- 
turned, and  told  us  that,  between  this  wood  and  the  Arkan- 
sas, there  was  a fine  prairie,  on  which  we  should  find  excel- 
lent grass  for  them.  We  followed  him  across  the  river, 
and  out  of  the  wood,  to  a small  glade,  which  was  over- 
shadowed by  close-growing  trees.  Here  we  camped,  and 
prepared  breakfast,  while  our  cattle  greedily  browsed  on 
the  fresh,  dewy  grass.  We  rested  here  till  the  sun  cast  the 
shadow  of  the  forest  far  across  the  prairie : then  we  set  out 
again,  and  rode  to  the  Arkansas,  which  here  rolls  its  foam- 
ing waters  between  low  banks. 

The  sun  had  just  set  when  we  came  to  a stream  running 
towards  the  Arkansas,  and  covered  on  this  side  with 
bushes,  while,  on  the  other,  the  most  splendid  grass  hung 
over  its  crystalline  waters.  We  watered  our  cattle,  and 
then  rode  down  stream  on  the  other  side,  as  the  pasturage 
seemed  morq  luxuriant  lower  down.  In  a few  minutes  we 
reached  a small  cascade,  where  the  stream  fell  over  rocks 
about  ten  feet,  and  below  this  fall  formed  a deep  basin, 


On  the  Prairie. 


24& 


whose  bottom  was  also  composed  of  stone  slabs,  and  on  one 
side  was  overhung  by  rock  strata  about  twenty  feet  in 
height,  which  covered  a considerable  space  near  the  basin, 
whose  bottom  and  sides  also  consisted  of  bare  stone.  We 
camped  on  the  top  of  this  overhanging  ledge,  as  a number 
of  medlar-trees  grew  there,  to  which  we  could  fasten  our 
horses  at  night  round  the  camp  ; and  at  the  same  time  the 
richest  grass  grew  all  around.  We  unsaddled,  hobbled  the 
horses  in  the  grass,  lit  a fire,  and  put  the  supper  before  it, 
and  then  went  to  bathe  in  the  basin  under  the  rock.  After 
we  had  cooled  and  refreshed  ourselves,  we  supped,  and  then 
prepared  our  resting-place  ; but  John  took  his  weapons  and 
skins,  and  said  he  would  sleep  on  the  stream  under  the 
crag,  as  it  was  much  cooler  and  pleasanter  there,  and  he 
should  not  feel  the  heavy  dew  so  much  as  in  the  grass. 
We  wished  him  pleasant  dreams,  and  shouted  to  him  not  to 
let  himself  be  devoured  by  a bear. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 


THE  COMANCHES. 

Our  route  ran  from  here  through  the  most  pleasing  and 
rich  countries,  crossed  by  numerous  streams  running  east- 
ward. We  had  been  marching  for  nearly  a month  through 
this  pleasant  region  to  the  south,  and  had  crossed  the  Red 
Arm  as  well  as  several  other  affluents  of  the  Arkansas, 
when  one  evening  we  reached  the  Saline. 

We  crossed  the  river,  and  went  through  the  wood  on  its 
south  side,  and  had  just  unsaddled  our  horses,  and  picketed 
them  in  the  prairie,  when  suddenly  several  hundred  horse 
Indians  came  round  the  nearest  angle  in  the  wood,  and 
halted  a few  yards  from  us,  while  we  gazed  at  each  other 
in  amazement,  Al  the  head  of  them  rode  a single  Indian, 
with  a smoking  piece  of  wood,  who  at  the  sight  of  us  gave 
a piercing  yell.  We  saw  that  great  excitement  was  pro- 
duced in  the  ranks  of  the  caravan,  and  that  the  men  col- 
lected in  the  foreground,  while  the  squaws  and  children 
hurried  to  the  rear,  and  hastily  drew  back  the  numerous 
pack  animals.  We,  too,  ran  at  full  speed  to  our  horses, 
and  were  rcmoviug  them  to  the  bushes,  when  Tiger  shouted 
to  me  that  they  were  Comanches.  The  name  at  once  tran- 
quillized me ; and  I told  him  I believed  they  would  do  noth- 
ing hostile  to  us  when  they  heard  my  name.  He  went 
towards  the  savages,  and  shouted  my  name  to  them : upon 
246 


T7ie  Comanche*.  247 

which  they  raised  loud  cries  ; and  an  old  man,  on  a large 
mule,  trotted  towards  us,  in  whom  I recognized  my  friend 
Pahajuka.  He  was  followed  by  his  squaw,  and  both  testi- 
fied their  joy  at  seeing  me.  The  whole  band  was  now 
coming  towards  us,  when  Pahajuka  checked  them  in  a loud 
voice  and  with  commanding  gestures.  They  turned  away, 
and  disappeared  again,  soon  after,  round  the  angle  of  the 
wood.  He  told  me  his  people  were  impudent,  and  would 
rob  us  if  he  did  not  keep  them  away,  and  for  that  reason 
he  had  ordered  them  to  camp  lower  down  the  river.  Both 
the  old  folks  dismounted,  and  sat  down  on  their  buffalo- 
robes,  while  Antonio  lighted  a fire  before  them.  I sat 
down  with  them,  and  gave  them  a couple  of  cigars.  We 
prepared  our  supper,  which  my  savage  friends  shared  and 
enjoyed  ; and  the  squaw  gave  full  vent  to  her  eloquence. 
She  told  me  they  were  going  to  the  sources  of  the  Puerco, 
on  the  western  side  of  the  Sacramento  Mountains,  where  a 
great  council  of  all  the  Comanche  tribes  was  about  to  be 
held. 

The  next  morning,  Pahajuka,  his  squaw  and  daughter, 
again  shared  our  breakfast,  and  then  prepared  to  go  on, 
wrhile  wTe  resolved  to  rest  for  the  day.  The  two  old  peopie 
were  very  sorry  at  being  obliged  to  leave  us,  but  promised 
without  fail  to  come  to  my  house  after  the  great  council 
on  Puerco  River,  and  remain  some  time. 

We  halted  this  day  on  the  Northern  Canadian  River  in 
order  to  rest  our  cattle,  which  had  the  most  splendid  pas- 
ture here ; and  the  next  morning  marched  south  again. 
Towards  evening  we  reached  a spring  which  ran  out  of  a 
low  range  of  hills.  Here  we  found  a pleasant  camping-spot, 
and  followed  the  course  of  this  stream  on  the  following  day 
to  the  Southern  Canadian  River,  on  whose  bank  we  un- 
saddled, after  crossing  it  with  much  difficulty.  From  this 


*248 


The  Backwoodsman. 

■\ 

point  we  altered  our  course,  as  we  went  up  stream,  in  order 
to  reach  its  springs,  the  southernmost  of  which  well  up  in 
the  Sacramento  Mountains,  at  the  point  where  the  latter 
form  a low  pass  which  separates  them  from  the  mountain- 
chain  which  runs  parallel  with  the  Puerco  River,  in  nearly 
a southern  direction,  to  the  San  Saba  Mountains,  and  form 
an  extensive  rich  valley  between  themselves  and  the  former 
river. 

Our  road  now  ran  along  the  south  side  of  the  Canadian 
River  to  the  west,  and  in  a few  days  the  Sacramento 
Mountains  rose  before  us.  We  reached  an  affluent  of  this 
river,  on  which,  some  miles  farther  up,  the  iron  stone  was 
said  to  lie  with  which  Tiger  told  us  the  god  of  hunting  had 
killed  a Weico.  As  it  would  not  take  us  very  far  out  of 
our  course  if  we  rode  to  it,  I requested  Tiger  to  lead  us  to 
it.  Before  sunset  we  reached  a prairie,  round  which  the 
little  wooded  stream  ran  in  a semicircle;  and  saw,  in  the 
centre  of  it.,  the  stone  rising  about  three  feet  out  of  the  short 
grass. 

We  slept  here  for  the  night,  and  had  to  hear  several  times 
the  story  of  the  Weico  who  was  slain  with  this  stone.  The 
next  morning  we  left  the  river,  marching  westward  along 
the  mountains,  and  camped  again  on  the  banks  of  Canadian 
River.  For  about  a week  we  followed  this  course  to  the 
spurs  of  the  Sacramento  Mountains,  where  we  left  the  river, 
and  went  along  the  former  to  the  south,  until,  in  a fortnight, 
we  reached  the  sources  of  the  Red  River,  which  flow  from 
the  eastern  slopes  of  these  mountains.  We  rode  up  them  to  ' 
their  source  among  the  granite  rocks,  where  we  found  at  a 
considerable  height  a splendid  camping-place,  on  which  we 
found  the  remains  of  several  Indian  camps,  made  by  foot 
Indians,  who  do  not  carry  large  tents  with  them. 

The  springs  at  which  we  camped  welled  up  under  im- 


The  Comanches. 


249 


mense  granite  crags,  which  rose  in  terraces,  and  formed  in 
front  of  them  a small  basin,  in  which  they  collected  and 
flowed  in  a rivulet  through  the  plain  on  which  our  cattle 
were  grazing,  and  thence  to  the  wide  prairies  which  we  had 
recently  crossed. 

Day  had  scarce  broken  on  the  next  morning,  when  we 
prepared  breakfast ; and  the  sun  had  not  risen  over  the 
eastern  horizon,  and  the  valleys  were  still  covered  with 
mist,  when  we  were  already  mounted,  and  going  up  the  path, 
to  take  advantage  of  the  cool  of  the  morning,  as,  during  the 
day,  we  might  calculate  on  great  heat  upon  these  barren 
rocks.  The  morning  was  splendid.  The  fresh,  cool  moun- 
tain breeze  refreshed  us  ; and  every  plant,  every  blade  of 
grass  between  the  rocks,  seemed  to, enjoy  the  treat.  We  had 
ascended  a considerable  height  when  the  sun  spread  its 
beams  over  the  earth.  Our  path  ascended  from  hill  to  hill, 
till,  at  about  ten  o’clock,  we  reached  a barren  table-land, 
which  in  some  parts  was  broad  and  others  narrow,  and 
overshadowed  by  crags*  It  was  now  very  hot,  however,  in 
spite  of  the  violent  breeze  ; but  a rest  without  any  shade 
could  not  refresh  us.  The  stony  strata  along  which  we 
rode,  and  which  at  times  were  deeply  trodden  in,  reflected 
the  sunbeams,  and  rendered  the  heat  almost  unendurable. 
Our  animals  dripped  with  perspiration,  and  trotted  on  with 
hanging  heads,  as  if  anxious  to  get  away  from  this  glowing 
surface.  .Nowhere,  however,  did  we  see  a spot  to  receive 
us  in  its  shade,  as  the  sun  was  vertical,  and  the  few  lofty 
rocks  we  passed  cast  no  shadow.  Our  cattle  became  more 
and  more  tired,  and  at  last  hardly  able  to  move,  when  the 
sun  had  sunk  a long  way  on  the  western  horizon.  We 
halted  several  times  in  the  shadow  of  large  rocks  to  let  our 
cattle  breathe,  and  gave  them  the  juicy,  pear-shaped  fruit 
of  the  cactus,  which  grew  here  abundantly  ; and  they  eagerly 


250 


The  Backwoodsman. 


devoured  it.  Such  a rest  could  not  do  us  much  good,  and 
so  we  continually  urged  our  horses  on,  till,  after  passing 
about  sunset  between  tremendous  crags,  we  found  a broad 
path,  which  soon  wound  down  the  eastern  slope,  when, 
about  a mile  farther  on,  we  saw  a copse  of  low  cypresses. 
With  great  delight  we  accepted  their  invitation,  and  fol- 
lowed the  path  which  ran  iuto  a small  glen,  where  we  found 
good  grass  and  splendid  spring-water. 

We  allowed  our  cattle  to  graze  till  far  into  the  night, 
when  they  lay  down,  and  we  brought  them  near  our  fire,  and 
slept  quietly  till  dawn. 

The  sun  had  scarce  risen,  when  we  left  this  spot,  and  has- 
tened back  to  the  road  across  the  ridge.  Our  cattle  walked 
quickly  along  the  path  in  the  cool,  morning  breeze  ; and  at 
about  nine  o’clock,  Guadaloupe  hills  lay  to  the  north-west, 
while  the  western  mountains  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Pu- 
erco  opened,  and  allowed  us  a view  through  a broad  pass  of 
the  Rio  Grande  and  Paso  del  Nortd. . Though  it  was  so 
grand  up  here,  we  longed  to  be  down  below  on  the  banks  of 
the  Puerco,  and  resolved  to  seize  the  first  opportunity  of 
descending  afforded  us  by  a direct  path.  During  the  whole 
day,  however,  we  only  found  indistinct  traces  where  buffa- 
loes had  descended  the  western  slopes,  till  at  about  four  p.m. 
we  found  a very  practicable  path,  which  crossed  ours  from 
east  to  west,  and  which  we  went  down.  The  path  ran  down 
from  the  spring ; and  we  followed  it  for  about  half  an  hour, 
till  about  nightfall  we  reached  a small,  leafy  coppice,  in 
which  we  camped.  Tiger  and  Owl  were  of  opinion  that  the 
path  led  down  to  the  valley,  as  it  ran  past  the  springs,  and 
because  a path  corresponding  with  it  had  run  down  the 
eastern  side  of  the  mountains. 

The  next  morning  we  ate  our  last  meal  at  a very  early 
breakfast ; and  Tiger  saddled  his  horse  to  make  certain 


The  Comanches . 


251 


whither  the  path  ran,  and  also  to  try  and  shoot  a deer  or  an 
antelope,  of  which  there  were  large  numbers  on  these  moun- 
tains. During  this  time  we  wished  to  let  our  cattle  graze 
and  recover,  as  they  greatly  needed  rest ; and,  in  the  event 
of  our  being  obliged  to  ride  back  to  the  ridge,  we  wished  to 
halt  here  till  the  next  day.  The  sun  had  just  risen  when 
Tiger  left  us.  We  lay  in  the  shade  of  the  closely  growing 
elms  and  popfprs,  and  were  drinking  coffee  at  noon,  as  Tiger 
had  not  yet  returned,  when  we  suddenly  heard  the  footsteps 
of  a horse  beneath  us,  and,  directly  after,  saw  the  piebald 
come  round  the  precipice.  Our  surprise  was  great,  how- 
ever, on  seeing  that  the  horse’s  handsome  white  seemed 
dyed  quite  red  on  the  neck  and  breast ; and  Tiger  too,  when 
he  drew  nearer,  was  quite  bloody.  I hurried  towards  him, 
and  saw,  to  my  terror,  that  he  had  serious  wounds  on  his 
left  shoulder,  and  that  the  blood  covered  his  arm  and  the 
whole  of  his  left  side.  I took  his  rifle,  helped  him  off  his 
horse,  and  went  back  with  him  into  the  shade  of  the  elms, 
while  Antonio  looked  after  the  piebald.  Tiger  now  told  us 
he  had  been  riding  about  three  miles  down  the  stream 
through  a small  coppice,  when  suddenly  an  immense  jaguar 
leapt  at  his  horse’s  neck,  but  at  the  same  instant  he  buried 
his  hunting-knife  between  the  beast’s  ribs.  At  this  moment 
he  slipped  off  his  terrified,  rearing  horse  ; the  jaguar  buried 
its  claws  in  his  right  shoulder,  while  he  dealt  it  several 
stabs  ; and  it  then  fell  dead.  The  piebald  bolted  down  the 
stream  as  fast  as  his  legs  would  carry  him  over  the  stoues, 
and  Tiger  believed  that  he  should  never  see  him  again, 
when  he  noticed  him  on  a bleak  crag : he  shouted  to  him 
from  a distance,  and  the  faithful  creature  at  once  hurried 
up  to  him.  He  then  washed  his  own  and  the  horse’s 
wounds,  and  returned  to  us,  suffering  great  pain.  He  had 
four  wounds  on  his  shoulder,  close  together,  as  if  cut  with  a 


252 


The  Backwoodsman. 


knife,  and  which  ran  about  four  inches  down  his  arm.  The 
foremost  was  so  deep,  that  I was  obliged  to  sew  it  up.  I 
bandaged  him  as  well  as  I could,  laid  all  the  rags  we  pos- 
sessed in  a moist  state  on  the  wound,  and  made  him  moisten 
them  pretty  frequently  in  the  neighboring  stream.  Then  I 
examined  the  poor  piebald,  who  had  on  his  back  four  deep 
wounds  from  the  jaguar’s  fangs,  and  several  injuries  on  the 
neck  from  the  claws : still  none  appeared  dangerous  ; and, 
though  the  throat  swelled  considerably,  constant  washing 
soon  produced  an  alleviation. 

Owl  now  went  up  the  hills  in  search  of  game,  while  I 
proceeded  down  the  stream  with  Antonio  and  Konigstein  to 
fetch  the  jaguar’s  hide.  We  reached  the  scene  of  action, 
where  the  jaguar  lay  outstretched  on  the  bank,  and  the 
ground  was  trampled  by  the  horse’s  hoofs.  The  animal  had 
five  knife-stabs  near  the  heart ; and  the  earth  and  grass 
around  were  dyed  with  its  blood,  while  we  were  able  to  fol- 
low the  blood-stained  track  of  Tiger  and  the  piebald  down 
the  stream.  My  two  comrades  at  once  set  to  work  remov- 
ing the  splendid  skin,  while  I followed  the  path  for  the  pur- 
pose of  procuring  meat. 

I had  gone  some  distance  without  getting  within  shot, 
though  I frequently  saw  game  ; and  the  low  position  of  the 
sun  wTarned  me  to  commence  my  return  to  camp.  I was 
following  a small  affluent  of  the  stream,  which  came  down 
from  the  hills  a little  more  to  the  south,  in  order  not  to  re- 
turn by  the  same  road  I had  come,  when  I suddenly  heard 
about  half  a mile  off  a roar  that  exactly  resembled  that  of 
a lion.  I ran  in  the  direction  whence  the  sound  came,  and 
soon  saw,  on  the  bank  of  the  stream,  two  giant  stags  en- 
gaged in  a most  furious  contest,  and  surrounded  by  a herd 
of  does,  and,  farther  on,  some  large  stags  on  the  watch.  I 
ran  up  within  forty  yards  of  them  unnoticed,  while,  with 


The  Comanches. 


253 


their  huge  antlers  intertwined,  they  butted  each  other,  and 
frequently  sank  on  their  knees.  I shot  the  largest,  which 
fell ; and  its  enemy  at  once  buried  its  tines  in  the  flanks  of 
its  overpowered  foe,  not  suspecting  that  the  same  rifle  which 
had  slain  its  opponent  still  held  a deadly  bullet  in  readiness. 
I could  easily  have  killed  it,  but  preferred  a fawn,  w'hich 
was  standing  no  great  distance  off,  and  killed  it.  I now  got 
up  behind  the  rocks  to  reload,  and  the  startled  herd  darted 
off  to  the  mountains.  I went  up  to  the  stag,  which  had  two 
and  twenty  tines,  and  was  very  plump  ; after  which  I hur- 
ried to  reach  camp  before  it  grew  dark,  and  met  Owl,  who 
had  shot  nothing.  As  we  had  nothing  left  to  eat,  we  at  once 
started  with  Jack  to  fetch  in  the  game,  taking  some  fire- 
brands of  pine-wood  as  torches.  The  night  was  dark  ; but 
the  torchlight  illumined  all  the  objects  around  the  more  dis- 
tinctly in  consequence.  Antonio  walked  in  front ; I followed 
with^Trusty  ; and  Konigstein,  with  Jack,  formed  the  rear.  We 
soon  reached  the  stags,  and  loaded  Jack  with  a large  supply 
of  meat,  with  which  we  arrived  in  camp  about  ten  o’clock. 
Our  hunger  was  great,  as  we  had  eaten  nothing  since  morn- 
ing ; and  we  sat  till  a late  hour  round  the  fire,  turning  our 
spits. 

It  was  scarce  daylight  when  I took  my  weapons  and  went 
to  pay  another  visit  to  the  rutting  stags,  John  accompany- 
ing me.  We  reached  the  spot  where  I had  shot  the  stags, 
and  heard  thence  the  roars  of  the  animals  echoing  through 
the  valleys.  They  were  standing,  however,  rather  higher 
up  the  stream,  as  they  probably  remembered  my  last  night’s 
visit.  We  pressed  through  the  tall  ferns,  from  which  the 
dew  dripped  upon  us  like  rain,  and  reached  a plateau  that 
hung  over  a dizzy  precipice.  Here  stood  the  game,  and, 
nearest  to  us,  an  old  stag,  which  had  its  proud  antlers 
thrown  back,  its  thick  swollen  neck  outstretched,  and  was 


254 


The  Backwoodsman 


roaring  furiously.  All  around,  the  other  stags  responded 
from  the  hills  ; and  we  listened  for  a long  time  to  the  con- 
cert of  these  jealous  lovers  ere  we  thought  of  hunting  them. 
As  it  was  the  first  giant  stag  John  had  had  a chance  of  fir-' 
ing  at,  I readily  granted  him  the  first  shot,  and  allowed  him 
to  stalk  the  stag.  The  majestic  animal,  hit  by  my  com- 
rade’s deadly  'bullet,  fell  on  its  knee  in  the  midst  of  a roar, 
raised  its  head  once  or  twice,  and  then  fell  lifeless  on  the 
scanty  grass  that  covered  the  rock.  John  could  not  master 
his  delight,  and  ran  up  to  the  stag ; by  doing  which  he  put 
an  end  to  our  sport  here  for  this  morning,  as  all  the  deer 
flew  at  the  sight  of  him.  The  stag  had  six  and  twenty 
tines,  and  a pair  of  colossal  antlers,  whose  ends  were  like 
shovels.  We  broke  it  up,  threw  the  paunch  over  the  pre- 
cipice, and  hoisted  John’s  white  handkerchief  near  it,  in 
order  to  keep  beasts  of  prey  aloof. 

It  was  still  very  early : the  first  sunbeams  were  just 
illumining  the  highest  points  of  the  steep  precipice  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  abyss  on  which  we  were  standiug ; and 
the  cool  breeze  was  too  refreshing  for  us  to  think  of  hurry- 
ing back  to  camp.  We  followed  the  plateau,  therefore, 
from  which  the  opposite  one  continually  retired,  until  the 
gorge  widened  into  a rocky  glen,  from  which  colossal 
masses  of  stone  rose  in  wild  confusion.  Far  down  the  val- 
ley, at  the  point  where  it  trended  to  the  east,  round  the 
opposite  hillside,  we  distinctly  noticed  a path  which  ran 
along  the  base  of  the  mountains,  and  was  probably  the  con- 
tinuation of  the  one  on  which  we  were  camped.  As  we 
still  heard  numerous  stags  roaring,  we  advanced  till  we 
were  able  to  look  down  into  the  valley  on  the  east,  and  fol- 
low our  path  for  a long  distance  through  it.  We  stopped  to 
gaze  at  the  wondrous  forms  of  the  mountains.  I took  out 
my  telescope,  looked  at  the  path,  and  saw,  a long  way  off, 


/ 


The  Comanches. 


255 


dark  forms  moving  among  the  rocks,  which  I soon  dis- 
covered to  be  a large  party  of  horse  Indians.  No  doubt 
but  the  path  they  were  marching  along  was  ours,  and  they 
would  be  in  our  camp  in  less  than  hour,  while  we  had  a 
good  half-hour’s  walk  to  it.  We  therefore  turned,  and  hur- 
ried at  full  speed  to  join  our  friends. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 


HOME  AGAIN. 

I 

Tiger  advised  us  to  saddle  at  once,  while  he  and  Owl 
carefully  removed  every  thing  that  could  betray  our  recent 
presence  here.  All  the  logs  were  carried  into  the  stream  in 
a deer-hide  ; the  horse  excreta,  and  scraps  of  food,  hidden  in 
the  neighboring  bushes ; and,  after  giving  our  camp  the 
appearance  as  if  its  occupants  had  left  it  some  days  pre- 
viously, we  led  our  horses  over  the  firm  stones  down  to  the 
stream  where  I had  shot  the  stag  on  the  previous  evening, 
and  then  along  it  till  we  could  survey  our  path  from  a dis- 
tance of  about  two  miles  from  camp.  Here  we  led  our  cattle 
into  a coppice  where  they  were  hidden  from  the  Indians  by 
the  bushes  and  rocks.  Ere  long  the  latter  marched  up  the 
path.  Tiger  recognized  them  as  Apaches,  who  were  prob- 
ably on  the  road  to  the  eastern  trading-ports  of  the  United 
States,  as  they  had  their  squaws  and  children  and  large 
bales  of  hides  with  them.  We  let  them  pass  in  peace. 
We  then  rode  down  the  stream  to  the  path,  and  put  our 
horses  at  a sharp  amble  in  the  direction  from  which  the  In- 
dians had  just  arrived. 

Our  road  was  very  fatiguing,  and  we  were  frequently 
obliged  to  dismount,  and  lead  our  horses  down  the  steep 
slopes  ; at  the  same  time  the  path  was  covered  with  small 
sharp  stones,  which  rendered  going  down  hill  still  more 
wearisome  to  the  cattle  ; and  it  often  ran  over  loose  blocks 
of  stone,  where  they  ran  a great  risk  of  breaking  their  legs. 
Still  all  went  well ; and  towards  evening  we  rode  out  be- 
256 


Hmne  Again. 


257 


tween  the  last  hills  into  the  fresh  verdure  of  the  Puqrco 
Valley,  and  camped  on  the  stream  whose  course  we  had  been 
following  for  some  days,  and  which  here  ran  as  a small 
river  to  the  Puerco. 

We  marched  thus  without  halt  ing  for  about  a week  along 
the  hills,  during  which  the  mountain-chains  on  the  west 
of  the  Puerco  constantly  drew  nearer  to  us,  and  contracted 
the  valley.  We  had  followed  our  course  one  whole  morn- 
ing without  finding  water,  till  about  two  o’clock,  p.m.,  when 
the  heat  became  unendurable,  and  we  looked  out  ahead  for 
some  shadow  in  which  we  could  rest  for  a few  hours.  At 
length  we  caught  sight  of  a clump  of  trees,  and,  to  our  in- 
describable joy,  we  saw  distinctly  that  they  were  poplars 
which  retained  their  fresh  foliage,  — an  infallible  sign  that 
there  was  water  near ; for  such  trees  often  stand  in  pools, 
and,  when  the  water  dries  up,  their  leaves  turn  yellow  and 
fall  off.  We  urged  our  cattle  on  in  order  to  reach  the  trees 
as  speedily  as  possible ; for  now  that  we  might  expect 
shadow,  and  probably  water,  we  felt  the  sun’s  heat  doubly. 
On  these  plains,  objects  are  seen  so  clearly  and  distinctly  for 
incredible  distances,  that  you  often  deceive  yourself ; and 
such  was  the  case  with  these  poplars : we  constantly  be- 
lieved that  we  must  reach  them  in  a quarter  of  an  hour, 
and  yet  hours  passed  ere  we  really  arrived.  We  hastened 
into  the  thick  shade  of  the  old  trees  ; and  I can  scarce  de- 
scribe the  cheerful  feeling  that  possessed  us  all  on  seeing 
close  to  them,  instead  of  a pool  of  muddy  slime,  two  ponds 
of  the  clearest,  freshest  spring-water,  one  of  which  the  pop- 
lars overshadowed  with  their  long  branches.  The  cattle 
were  quickly  unloaded,  and,  rolling  themselves  on  the  grass, 
they  dried  their  wet  backs,  while  we,  reclining  on  the  turf, 
inhaled  the  cooler  air.  The  pools,  like  the  mountain-springs 
near  my  house,  had  no  visible  connection  with  any  other 
17 


258 


The  Backwoodsman . 


water,  but,  for  all  that,  retained  their  freshness,  though 
almost  constantly  exposed  to  the  burning  sun. 

We  lay  without  stirring,  so  a9  to  avoid  any  movement 
which  might  have  impeded  our  rapid  cooling.  Not  a breath 
of  air  stirred,  the  easily  agitated  leaves  of  the  poplars  hung 
motionless  from  the  long  stalks,  while  over  the  water  lay 
that  quivering,  dazzling  glow,  which  announces  the  highest 
degree  of  heat. 

We  watered  our  horses  once  again,  and  then  trotted  on  in 
order  to  cover  a good  bit  of  ground  ; for  the  nearer  we  got 
to  our  home,  the  greater  grew  our  longing  for  it  and  all  the 
friends  whom  we  had  left  there. 

We  continued  our  journey  for  about  a week,  and  crossed 
a number  of  small  streams  which  ran  into  the  Puerco,  till 
one  noon  we  reached  another  rivulet,  on  whose  shady  bank 
we  resolved  to  rest.  The  moon  had  hitherto  distinctly 
shown  us  the  buffalo-paths  ; but  here  her  rule  was  at  an  end, 
and  only  now  and  then  did  a ray  fall  through  the  lofty 
masses  of  fofiage  which  now  roofed  us  over.  We  stopped 
on  a very  trampled  path,  which  we  could  not  follow,  how- 
ever, through  the  forest ; for,  even  if  our  cattle  kept  the 
road,  the  creepers  hanging  over  it  rendered  our  progress 
dillicult.  Our  cattle  were  very  thirsty  ; and,  as  we  had  no 
doubt  of  finding  water  in  the  forest  depths,  we  resolved  to 
try  and  reach  it.  We  dismounted,  gathered  dry  grass,  out 
of  which  Owl  and  Tiger  twisted  torches,  one  of  which  we 
lit,  and  then  pressed  on,  leading,  our  horses.  We  had  not 
gone  more  than  one  hundred  yards  into  the  forest,  when 
Tiger  cried  that  he  was  at  the  river ; and  shortly  after  we 
led  our  thirsty  horses  down  the  bank,  and  refreshed  them  in 
the  cool  stream : we  filled  our  gourds,  and  returned  by  the 
same  road  to  the  prairie,  where  we  fastened  up  our  cattle  in 
the  grass,  and  lit  our  fire. 


259 


Home  Again. 


We  stopped  here  till  about  three  P.M.,and  then  continued  our 
journey  southward.  As  the  banks  of  the  stream  were  very 
steep  here,  we  were  delayed  a little  till  we  had  all  our  bag- 
gage across,  but  then  rode  for  two  hours  without  a halt 
through  the  glorious  shade  of  the  forest,  in  whose  gloom 
only  now  and  then  a bright  yellow  patch  was  lit  up  by  the 
inquisitive  sunbeams. 

The  next  morning  we  followed  the  stream  to  the  river, 
and  about  noon  reached  the  principal  Indian  patli  that  led 
from  these  valleys  over  the  San  Saba  Mountains,  and 
greatly  facilitated  our  passage  over  them.  On  the  third 
morning,  we  looked  down  on  the  hills  near  our  home,  on 
which  we  camped  the  same  evening.  The  next  day  we 
reached  Turkey  Creek  at  sunset,  and  would  assuredly  not 
have  camped,  but  ridden  home  without  resting,  had  not  our 
cattle  been  so  fatigued.  It  was  very  late  ere  we  thought  of 
lying  down  to  rest,  and  even  then  the  conversation  was 
carried  on  for  a long  time.  After  the  old  fashion,  the  tur- 
keys anitounced  to  us  that  day  was  breaking.  Ou  this  oc- 
casion, however,  we  did  not  shoot  any,  but  each  break- 
fasted quickly,  and  got  ready  for  going  home.  A little 
more  attention  was  paid  this  day  to  our  costume  : although 
we  could  not  make  much  of  it  with  the  greatest  skill,  still 
we  looked  altogether  tidier  when  we  left  camp,  and  each 
galloped  on  to  be  the  first.  I was  obliged  to  hint  that  we 
still  had  a long  way  to  go,  and  ought  not  to  begin  with  gal- 
loping. The  journey  to-day  seemed  very  long  to  us,  al- 
though our  horses  advanced  sturdily,  as  if  they,  too,  noticed 
that  we  were  going  home.  At  about  ten  o’clock  we  made  a 
half-way  halt,  and  let  our  cattle  rest  for  a few  hours,  while 
we  lit  a fire  at  the  same  spot  where  we  had  made  coffee  at 
the  beginning  of  our  journey,  and  drank  it  again  : at  about 
two  o’clock,  however,  we  saddled  and  spread  over  the  bag- 


260 


The  Backwoodsman. 


gage  of  the  mules  the  finest  jaguar-skins,  above  which  the 
two  splendid  stags’  heads  were  displayed. 

We  were  still  busy  with  our  horses,  when  suddenly  Jack 
kicked  up  behind,  gave  a few  springs,  and  then  trotted 
along  the  path  that  led  to  the  Leone.  He  would  not  be  de- 
prived of  the  pleasure  of  being  first ; for,  so  soon  as  we 
approached  him,  lie  doubled  his  pace,  and  even  galloped 
when  it  appeared  necessary.  All  our  cattle  now  plainly 
showed  that  they  knew  they  were  near  home,  and  could  not 
be  held  in.  Long  before  sunset  we  passed  through  the  wood 
on  the  Leone,  and  entered  the  prairie  below  the  fort,  where 
we  fired  all  our  shots.  We  were  greeted  from  the  fort  in 
the  same  way ; and  its  inhabitants  ran  out  to  meet  us,  and 
overwhelm  us  with  congratulations.  Every  thing  was  as 
before,  except  that  another  good  harvest  had  been  got 
in ; that  horses,  cattle,  pigs,  and  dogs  had  multiplied ; 
and  that  numerous  new  settlers  had  arrived  both  north  and 
south. 

John  was  impatient  to  get  home,  and  left  me  n<5  time  to 
change  my  clothes,  as  I wished  to  accompany  him.  I there- 
fore saddled  Fancy,  left  Konigstein  to  look  after  Czar  and 
Trusty,  and  rode  with  my  companion  towards  Mustang 
River.  From  a distance  we  could  see  that  the  Lasars  had 
built  a large,  new  house  with  glass  windows  and  galleries, 
whose  whitewashed  walls  glistened  through  the  gloom.  We 
had  reloaded,  and  announced  our  return  to  our  friends  some 
distance  off.  Soon  after  we  saw  white  handkerchiefs  wav- 
ing, light  dresses  hurrying  out  of  the  garden-gate,  and  old 
and  young,  black  and  white,  hurried  to  meet  us,  and  wel- 
comed us  with  expressions  of  joy  and  congratulations.  I 
had  to  apologize  for  my  dress,  and  retire  ; but  I was  obliged 
to  stay  to  supper,  which  meal  we  took  under  the  veranda ; 
and  after  it  we  sat  in  the  garden  before  the  house,  where  the 


Home  Again . 


261 


perfumes  of  splendid  flowers  surrounded  us,  which,  illumined 
by  the  moonbeams,  formed  graceful  groups  around  us. 

It  was  about  midnight  when  I reached  the  fort,  where  I 
found  everybody  up  and  also  cheered  by  wine  ; for  I had 
ordered  Konigstein,  when  I rode  away,  to  give  them  a treat. 
I,  however,  soon  sought  my  bedroom  with  Trusty,  and 
slept,  with  open  doors  and  windows,  till  the  sun  stood  high 
in  the  heavens.  I hastened  down  to  the  river  ; and,  after  a 
bath,  the  old  trunks  were  opened,  and  the  garb  of  olden 
times  was  taken  out. 

Some  weeks  passed  ere  I was  quite  at  home  again,  all 
the  works  looked  after,  others  to  be  undertaken  arranged, 
and  repairs  and  improvements  carried  out.  I frequently 
came  across  the  Lasars  ; visited,  with  the  old  gentleman, 
the  new  settlers  in  the  neighborhood ; consulted  with  him 
about  making  roads  and  bridges,  and  was  appealed  to  by 
him  in  any  important  undertakings  in  his  private  affairs. 
Although  we  now  felt  no  alarm  about  the  Indians  coming  to 
the  numerous  new  settlements,  their  friendly  visits  now 
grew  wearisome  and  disagreeable.  Every  moment  a new 
tribe  arrived,  of  whom  we  had  scarce  heard,  to  make  friend- 
ship with  us,  and  receive  presents.  Something  must  be 
given  them,  else  we  ran  a risk  that  they  would  take  it  out 
on  our  cattle,  or  fire  the  prairie  when  a violent  wind  was 
blowing,  or  take  some  other  revenge  which  would  do  more 
injury  than  the  value  of  the  presents.  They  no  longer  ven- 
tured on  open  hostilities  within  range  of  our  settlements  : to 
such  only  the  more  distant  squatters  were  exposed,  who 
lived  nearer  to  the  desert. 

Shortly  after  our  return  arrived  a Mr.  White  from  Vir- 
ginia, with  his  wife,  two  sous  of  twelve  and  fourteen  years 
of  age,  and  two  younger  daughters.  He  applied  to  Lasar 
and  myself  to  show  him  a good  bit  of  land  on  which  he 


262  The  Backwoodsman. 

could  settle.  The  people  pleased  us  : they  were  friendly  and 
honest,  lived  on  good  terms  together,  as  we  noticed  on  our 
frequent  visits  to  their  camp  on  the  Leone,  and  were  the 
right  sort  to  defy  such  a mode  of  life.  Lasar  and  I resolved 
to  take  them  under  our  wing,  and  induced  them  to  settle  at 
our  old  camping-place  on  Turkey  Creek  ; for  which  purpose 
we  set  out  early  one  morning  with  them,  Lasar  ordering 
twenty  negroes  to  come  with  us,  and  prepare  an  abode  for 
the  new-comers.  We  built  for  them  there,  in  a few  days,  a 
neat  double  block-house  ; that  is  to  say,  two  houses  about 
twenty  yards  apart,  over  which,  and  the  space  between,  one 
long  roof  was  thrown.  Then  we  surrounded  the  house  with 
a palisade,  in  which  they  could  lock  their  cattle  at  night ; 
and  fitted  for  them  a lot  of  wood,  with  which  they  could 
fence  in  a garden.  Lasar  gave  them  a handsome  cow,  and 
I gave  them  a breeding  sow,  some  fowls,  and  maize  to  eat 
and  to  sow  for  the  coming  spring.  White  was  one  of  those 
resolute,  unswerving  men,  who,  after  struggling  for  a long 
time  with  misfortune  in  the  civilized  world,  turn  their  at- 
tention to  the  western  deserts,  where  they  try  to  extort  from 
fate  what  has  been  refused  to  them  elsewhere.  With  his 
peculiar  energy  and  restless  execution  of  every  thing  he  had 
once  undertaken,  he  set  to  work  in  his  new  home,  in  order, 
as  soon  as  possible,  to  lay  the  foundation  of  his  own  and  his 
family’s  future  prosperity : but,  unfortunately,  he  was  only 
able  to  see  the  foundation  ; for  the  garden  was  hardly  fenced 
in,  and  the  maize-field  taken  in  hand,  ere  he  fell  ill,  and  a 
violent  fever  carried  him  off*  in  a few  days.  His  eldest  son, 
Charles,  rode  over  to  me  to  bring  me  the  melancholy  news, 
and  tell  me  that  his  mother  wished  to  speak  to  me.  I rode 
across  the  next  morning  with  Konigstein  and  a negro.  The 
widow  was  sitting  inconsolably  by  the  side  of  her  dead  hus- 
band, without  any  plan  for  the  future  ; and  on  my  entrance 


Home  Again . 


263 


pointed,  with  sobs,  and  unable  to  utter  a word,  to  the  dead 
body.  I at  once  ordered  the  negro  to  dig  a grave,  and 
buried  the  poor  fellow  ; after  which  I sat  down  by  the  widow’s 
fcide,  and  tried  to  give  her  some  consolation  by  offering  her 
my  assistance.  I proposed  to  her  to  settle  near  me  till  her 
sons  were  old  enough  to  look  after  their  present  farm  ; but 
she  was  of  opinion  that  they  were  able  to  do  so  already, 
although  not  strong  enough  to  do  the  heavy  field-work,  such 
as  clearing  the  land  from  bushes  and  trees,  as  well  as 
felling  and  ‘clearing  the  wood  itself.  If  this  could  be 
done  for  her,  she  would  not  leave  the  spot,  as  her  lads 
could  plough,  and  use  the  pick,  while  both  fired  a rifle  as 
well  as  any  frontierman  ; and  she  too,  if  it  came  to  the 
point,  knew  how  to  use  her  husband’s  fowling-piece.  I 
made  every  possible  objection  to  her  plan  of  living  here 
alone,  but  promised  my  help  and  Lasar’s  if  she  insisted  on 
adhering  to  it. 

The  next  morning  I said  good-by  to  the  woman  who  was 
determined  to  stop  here,  and  promised  to  send  her  help  to 
prepare  her  garden  and  fence,  and  bring  her  a few  trifles  for 
her  comfort.  I got  home  at  an  early  hour,  and  rode  in  the 
evening  to  Lasar’s  to  tell  him  what  had  happened.  The 
old  gentleman  at  once  declared  that  he  would  send  John  off 
the  next  morning  with  the  requisite  number  of  slaves  to  ar- 
range every  thing  for  the  widow ; and  all  the  members  of 
the  family  vied  with  each  other  in  displaying  their  sympa- 
thy by  sending  articles  of  clothing  and  stores  of  every  de- 
scription. In  a week,  every  thing  was  in  order  at  White’s  ; 
the  garden  was  laid  out,  and  a field  of  five  acres  prepared 
for  planting  with  maize,  beans,  gourds,  and  potatoes.  The 
best  varieties  of  vegetables  were  sown  in  the  garden,  and 
seeds  of  all  sorts  given  to  the  widow.  The  woman  had, 
for  the  present,  only  to  keep  the  garden  in  order,  while  the 


284 


The  Backwoodsman. 


sons  procured  game,  which  they  could  shoot,  at  times,  from 
their  own  door ; for  all  her  other  wants  were  amply  sup- 
plied. Thus  peace  and  contentment  soon  returned  to  this 
house,  and  the  love  of  her  children  restored  Mrs.  White 
the  activity  and  determination  which  the  loss  of  her  hus- 
band had  palsied. 

Shortly  after  peace  bad  settled  dbwn  again  on  this  soli- 
tary abode,  the  widow  was  seated,  as  usual,  in  the  cool  pas- 
sage with  her  daughters,  while  her  second  son,  Ben,  had 
gone  to  the  spring  to  fetch  water,  and  Charles  had  gone 
into  the  neighboring  wood  with  his  rifle.  All  at  once  the 
very  sharp  dogs  which  guarded  the  family  made  an  un- 
usual disturbance,  and  ran  barking  across  the  yard  that 
surrounded  the  house.  Mrs.  White  jumped  up,  and  saw 
several  Indians  standing  in  front  of  the  nearest  wood,  and 
then  retire  into  it  again  directly  after.  She  seized  the 
horn,  sounded  it  with  all  her  might ; then  ran  into  the 
room,  and  took  down  her  deceased  husband’s  fowling-piece, 
that  was  loaded  with  slugs,  with  a resolution  and  courage 
such  as  has  grown  almost  entirely  strange  to  the  feminine 
sex  in  civilization,  and  is  only  found  on  rare  occasions  on 
its  outermost  frontier  on  this  continent.  In  a few  minutes, 
Ben  ran  up  and  found  his  mother  already  behind  the  pal- 
isade, with  the  gun  in  her  hand.  “ Quick,  Ben,  your 
rifle ! ” she  cried  to  her  twelve-year-old  son  ; “ but  don’t 
forget  your  bullet,  boy ; ” and  then  blew  the  horn  again. 
The  dogs  now  came  in  again,  and  Mrs.  White  closed  the 
hole  in  the  fence  through  which  they  passed.  All  at  once, 
a frightful  yell  was  heard  from  the  wood,  and  from  its 
gloom  sprang  a swarm  of  some  thirty  red-skinned  fiends, 
who  dashed  over  the  grass  towards  the  house  with  an  aw- 
ful war-cry.  “ Don’t  fire,  Ben,  till  I have  loaded  again  ! ” 
Mrs.  White  cried,  and  then  rapidly  discharged  both  bar- 


Home  Again. 


265 


rels,  sending  some  forty  leaden  pellets  among  the  char- 
ging horde.  The  effect  of  the  two  shots,  at  hardly  fifty 
yards’  distance,  was  so  tremendous,  that  the  horde  darted  in 
all  directions  as  if  struck  by  lightning ; and  eight  remained 
on  the  grass,  while  the  others  ran  howling  to  the  wood. 
“ Fire,  Ben ! ” Mrs.  White  cried  to  her  son,  who  had 
thrust  his  rifle  through  the  palisades,  while  she  poured  a 
handful  of  slugs  down  her  gun,  and  placed  two  cotton  wads 
upon  them.  Ben  fired  into  the  thickest  of  the  fugitives  ; 
and  one  of  them  fell,  with  his  feet  in  the  air,  while  the 
yells  of  the  others  filled  the  air.  “ I have  hit,  mother,” 
the  boy  said,  as  he  poured  fresh  powder  down  the  barrel. 
“ Bravo,  Ben  ! but  where  is  Charles  ? He  ought  to  have 
been  here  by  this  time,  as  he  has  not  been  gone  long.  Run 
into  the  house  and  have  a look  at  Fanny  and  Bessie,  but 
come  back  again  directly.”  Thus  Mrs.  White  called  to  her 
son  while  she  was  hurriedly  making  cotton  wads,  which 
she  moistened  with  her  lips,  and  threw  back  her  long,  raven 
hair  which  hung  over  her  shoulders.  u Mother,  Charles  is 
coming  with  Kitty  ! ” Ben  cried,  as  he  ran  out  of  the  house, 
and  hurried  to  the  hind  part  of  the  fence  to  open  the  gate 
for  theii*  cow  Kitty,  which  was  trotting  over  the  grass  in 
front  of  Charles.  The  latter  had  heard  the  horn  and  the 
shots,  and  yells  of  the  Indians,  as  he  hurried  home  ; had 
come  across  Kitty,  and  had  driven  her  home. 

Every  thing  was  quiet,  and  the  Indians  did  not  make  the 
slightest  sound.  Charles  and  his  mother  secured  the  two 
fence  gates  with  logs  of  wood  ; and  then  the  mother  went 
to  her  young  children,  leaving  her  sons  orders  to  call  her 
if  they  saw  any  thing  of  the  Indians.  The  day  passed 
without  the  savages  making  a fresh  attack  on  the  settle- 
ment ; but  the  greater,  on  that  account,  grew  the  widow’s 
alarm,  lest  they  should  take  advantage  of  the  night  to  sati- 


266 


The  Backwoodsman. 


ate  their  vengeance.  Towards  evening,  she  bade  her  sons 
lie  down  and  sleep,  so  that  they  could  keep  awake  during 
the  night  while  she  kept  guard  in  front  of  the  house.  The 
sun  set,  and  darkness  was  lying  over  the  country,  when 
Mrs.  White  and  her  two  sons  took  their  places  behind  the 
palisade,  and  carefully  surveyed  the  open  prairie.  It  was 
about  nine  o’clock,  when  they  saw  the  light  of  a fire  com- 
ing through  the  wood,  rapidly  grow  larger,  and  presently 
appear  on  its  outermost  edge.  Again  the  fearful  yell  was 
raised  with  which  the  savages  always  accompany  their 
attack,  and  the  light  moved  from  the  forest  over  the  grass. 
A dark  object  moved  across  the  plain  towards  the  house, 
and  the  light  shone  out  on  both  sides  of  it.  The  object 
slowly  drew  nearer ; and  Mrs.  White  soon  saw  that  it  was 
a framework  of  bushes,  behind  which  the  Indians  were 
concealed,  and  pushing  it  before  them.  This  leafy  wall 
had  advanced  within  twenty  yards,  when  Charley  and  Ben 
fired  at  it ; and  the  groans  of  the  wounded  w^ere  distinctly 
heard  amid  the  yells  of  the  assailants.  For  all  that,  the 
wall  moved  slowly  forward,  and,  in  a few  minutes,  leaned 
against  the  corner  of  the  palisade ; after  which,  flames  sud- 
denly darted  up,  and  set  the  fence  on  fire.  The  savages  had 
brought  a heap  of  dry  wood  with  them  behind  the  screen, 
piled  it  up  against  the  palisade,  and  kindled  it ; after  which 
they  rah  back  about  forty  yards,  and  lay  down  flat  in  the 
grass. 

The  space  behind  the  fence  round  the  house  was  now  so 
brilliantly  illuminated,  that  Mrs.  White  feared  lest  the  sav 
ages  might  fire  arrows  through  the  palisades  at  her  boys « 
hence  she  retired  with  them  into  the  house,  and  went  uj 
under  the  roof,  whither  she  took  her  daughters  too  ; while, 
the  dogs  ran  furiously  along  the  palisade.  Then  she  raised 
several  of  the  shingles  with  which  the  roof  was  covered, 


Home  Again. 


267 


and  placed  others  under  them,  so  that  she  could  survey  the 
brilliantly  lighted  prairie,  where  she  saw  the  Indians  lying 
in  the  short  grass.  At  the  same  instant,  however,  sparks 
fell  down  from  the  roof ; for  the  savages  had  fired  a num- 
ber of  burning  arrows,  which  set  fire  to  the  dry  shingle 
roof  of  cedar-wood.  An  inhuman  yell  of  joy  from  the 
savages  greeted  the  first  flash  of  the  flames,  which  soon  as- 
cended with  a crackling  sound.  “ Charles,  the  axe  ! ” Mrs. 
White  shrieked  to  her  son,  while  she  thrust  her  double-bar- 
rel through  the  roof,  and  fired  at  a group  of  savages  lying 
together  in  the  grass,  who  doubtless  fancied  themselves  safe 
from  the  besieged.  The  unhurt  men  leaped  up  with  a yell, 
and  darted  back  to  the  wood  ; while  the  second  barrel  was 
fired  after  them,  and  again  brought  down  several.  Charles 
handed  his  mother  the  axe,  with  which  she  soon  made  a 
hole  in  the  roof,  and  pulled  out  the  blazing  shingles  ; so 
that  the  fire  was  extinguished  in  a few  moments.  Then 
she  ran,  with  axe  and  gun,  down  into  the  yard,  reloaded, 
and  checked  the  fire  at  the  palisades,  which,  as  there  was 
no  wind,  spread  very  slowly,  and  was  speedily  put  out. 
The  corner  of  the  palisade  was  certainly  burnt  down,  and 
there  was  a large  opening  in  it,  while  outside  a large  heap 
of  burning  coals  remained  from  the  fire.  Mrs.  White,  with 
her  sons*  help,  pulled  the  small  cart  which  had  conveyed 
their  little  property  hither  into  the  opening,  and  then  filled 
up  all  the  gaps  with  logs  of  firewood.  The  night  was 
passed  under  arms  ; and,  when  dawn  lit  up  the  cquntry,  the 
heroic  woman  looked  out  of  the  roof  at  the  battle-field  in 
front  of  her  fortress,  without  being  able  to  see  a trace  of 
Indians.  The  savages  had  carried  off  the  corpses  of  their 
comrades  in  the  darkness,  and  had  probably  departed  with 
them  in  the  night,  to  let  them  rest  with  their  fathers  ; for 
the  Indians  take  the  dead  bodies  of  their  friends  with  them, 


268 


The  Backwoodsman. 


and  carry  them  hundreds  of  miles  to  the  burial-place  of  the 
tribe. 

Late  on  the  following  night,  the  barking  of  my  dogs 
awoke  me  ; and  when  I shouted  out  of  the  fort,  asking  who 
was  there,  Charles  White  announced  himself,  and  told  me 
what  had  happened.  I had  his  wearied  horse  looked  after, 
gave  him  a bed,  and  early  next  morning  rode  with  him  to1 
Lasar  to  consult  with  the  latter  what  was  to  be  done. 
This  humane  man  soon  formed  a resolution,  and  told  me 
he  would  let  a faithful  old  negro,  who  was  not  of  much  use 
to  him,  live  at  Mrs.  White's.  He  could  sow  a bit  of  land 
with  cotton,  the  proceeds  of  which  would  be  his  own  ; and 
the  family  would  have  a protector  in  him,  as  he  was  an  ex- 
cellent shot,  and  a fearless,  determined  man.  Within  an 
hour  we  were  mounted,  and  rode  past  my  fort  in  order  to 
fetch  Owl  and  Tiger.  We  arrived  in  the  evening  at 
White’s,  where  we  saw  the  damage  done  by  the  savages, 
and  then  heard  the  story  from  Mrs.  White’s  own  lips,  on 
which  occasion  she  praised  Ben’s  bravery,  who,  during  the 
narration,  stood  by  his  mother’s  side  with  her  arm  thrown 
round  him.  The  woman  was  most  grateful  for  our  kind- 
ness and  sympathy,  and  said  that  with  the  help  of  the  old 
negro,  Primus,  she  would  withstand  a whole  Indian  tribe. 
Primus  remained  there,  and  this  settlement  was  really 
never  again  disquieted  by  Indians. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 


THE  MESCALEROS. 

Shortly  after  the  occurrence  on  Turkey  Creek,  I was 
sitting,  one  afternoon,  in  the  veranda  before  my  house,  and 
drinking  coffee,  when  I saw,  a long  way  down  the  prairie, 
a cloud  of  dust  coming  down  the  river.  Curious  as  to  who 
it  could  be,  I went  into  the  house  and  fetched  my  telescope. 
I saw  three  Indians  on  horseback,  — a man  in  front,  and 
two  squaws  following  him.  They  rode  very  fast,  in  spite 
of  the  great  heat,  and  soon  came  up  the  hill  to  the  fort.  I 
went  out  to  them  ; and  all  three  came  through  the  palisade 
gate,  and  pulled  up  in  front  of  my  house.  The  warrior 
leapt  from  his  horse,  while  the  two  girls  remained  seated 
on  theirs.  He  told  me  in  English  that  a tribe  of  Indians 
wished  to  make  friendship  with  me,  and  the  chief  had  sent 
to  inquire  whether  he  would  be  allowed  to  pay  me  a visit 
with  his  people.  I asked  him  to  what  nation  they  be- 
longed ; which  question  appeared,  as  it  seemed,  to  be  dis- 
agreeable to  him,  and  he  passed  it  over  in  silence.  He  then 
said  something  to  the  two  girls  which  I did  not  understand, 
and  then  told  me  they  were  Mescaleros,  but  not  of  those 
who  made  the  attack  on  Mrs.  White.  The  chief  of  the 
latter  was  no  good  friend  of  the  white  men  ; but  the  father 
of  these  two  girls  was  a very  good  friend,  and  hence  he 
wished  to  come  and  tell  me  so  himself. 

The  sun  had'  already  set,  and  darkness  was  spreading 
over  the  landscape,  when  my  princesses  trotted  out  proudly 

269 


270 


The  Backwoodsman. 


into  the  prairie,  wrapped  in  their  blankets,  with  an  assur- 
ance that  they  would  return  early  the  next  morning  with 
the  whole  tribe.  At  an  early  hour,  I had  a very  large  ket- 
tle of  coffee  made  and  extra  bread  baked  before  the  cattle 
were  driven  out  to  pasture  ; a fat  ox  was  driven  into  the 
enclosure,  the  dogs  were  chained  up,  and  I ordered  my  men 
to  keep  the  fort  closed,  as  the  Indians  whom  I wished  to 
enter  it  would  be  led  through  my  house,  which  stood  at  the 
south-eastern  angle,  and  had  an  entrance  through  the  pali- 
sade. 

At  the  appointed  hour  we  saw  the  party  of  Indians  com- 
ing down  the  river,  and  soon  halt  in  front  of  my  fence.  I 
went  out,  received  the  chief  with  the  usual  ceremony,  and 
saluted  his  two  daughters,  who,  on  this  day  only,  wore 
snow-white,  bran-new  petticoats,  painted  in  the  brightest 
colors  with  very  considerable  taste.  The  chief  was  a man 
of  about  fifty  years  of  age,  about  six  feet  high,  with  broad 
shoulders  and  arched  chest,  regular,  handsome  features, 
straight  nose,  sharp  black  eyes,  lofty  forehead,  and  — a 
rarity  among  the  Indians  — a heavy  mustache  twisted  into 
points.  He  had  a haughty,  imposing  mien,  and  something 
very  determined  in  his  appearance,  which  was,  however, 
kindly  and  hearty,  so  that  we  fraternized  in  a few  mo- 
ments. I proposed  to  lead  him  and  his  daughters  to  my 
house  : but  he  turned  to  his  tribe,  and  said  something  I did 
not  understand  ; upon  which  two  men  stepped  out  of  the 
mob,  and  joined  us.  We  reached  the  gallery  in  front  of 
my  house,  to  which  I had  had  all  my  chairs  carried,  in 
order,  if  possible,  to  keep  the  interior  clear  for  the  curious 
guests.  I made  them  sit  down  at  table,  and  handed  the 
chief  the  pipe  I had  myself  lighted ; he  passed  it  to  his 
neighbors,  and  so  it  went  the  round ; while  the  two  girls 
swung  themselves  in  the  rocking-chair,  or  the  hammock 


The  Mescalei'os. 


271 


hung  up  in  the  gallery,  and  smoked  cigars.  After  the  calumet 
of  peace  had  passed  round,  the  chief  informed  me  of  the 
purpose  of  his  visit,  — to  make  peace  with  me,  — and  intro- 
duced the  other  two  Indians  to  me  as  the  Chief  of  Peace 
and  the  Sage  in  Council,  in  which  the  Mexican  acted  as 
interpreter. 

We  had  finished  dinner,  and  I told  the  chief  that  I now 
wished  to  give  his  men  their  dinner ; on  which  he  rose,  and 
said  that  he  had  better  be  present,  or  else  no  order  would 
be  kept.  We  went  out  in  front  of  the  palisade,  after  I had 
locked  my  house-door,  unseen  by  the  two  girls,  and  had 
the  caldron  of  coffee,  sweetened  with  honey  and  mixed 
with  milk,  brought  out,  as  well  as  the  bread,  which  last 
the  chief  distributed  among  the  various  families,  telling 
them  to  use  in  coffee-drinking  their  own  utensils,  which 
consisted  of  shells,  horns,  and  cocoa-nuts.  There  were 
above  two  hundred  souls  in  camp,  though  among  them  all 
were  only  forty  warriors. 

I now  showed  the  chief  the  fat  ox  which  I had  shut  up 
in  the  cow’s  milking  enclosure,  remarking,  at  the  same  time, 
that  I intended  to  give  it  to  his  people  ; and  asked  whether 
it  should  be  shot  now,  to  which  he  assented.  Konigstein 
brought  me  a rifle,  and  I shot  the  ox  through  the  skull ; 
after  which  some  of  the  Indians  skinned,  and  carried  the 
joints  to  camp.  Ere  long  some  thirty  fires  were  lighted, 
round  which  the  Indians  lay  and  roasted  the  meat,  while 
constantly  running  to  the  coffee-caldron  to  fill  their  vessels. 

We  again  took  our  seats  in  the  veranda,  and  I ordered 
the  coffee  and  cake,  which  my  guests  tremendously  en- 
joyed ; then  I gave  them  all  cigars  to  smoke,  after  which 
the  chief  told  me  that  his  people  were  well  satisfied,  were 
very  good  friends  of  mine,  and  would  remain  so. 

Evening  arrived : we  supped,  and,  when  the  moon  had 


272 


The  Backwoodsman. 


fully  risen,  went  out  to  the  Indian  camp,  as  the  chief 
wished  to  spend  the  night  with  his  men,  because  the  latter 
might  be  alarmed  about  him  if  he  slept  in  the  fort  with 
me.  We  had  hardly  reached  the  first  fire,  when  we  heard 
a fearful  row  at  the  other  end  of  the  camp ; and  the  chief 
ran  with  his  two  colleagues  in  the  direction  of  it.  I was 
anxious  about  what  was  going  on  there,  and  hastened  after 
them,  accompanied  by  the  two  Indian  girls.  Two  young 
men  had  quarrelled,  and  were  engaged  in'  a violent  dispute 
when  we  came  up,  while  the  voices  of  the  chief  and  his 
colleagues  were  raised  to  a loud  key.  Suddenly,  however, 
the  two  men  rushed  to  different  fires,  seized  their  bow3  and 
arrows,  flew  about  a hundred  yards  apart  into  the  prairie, 
and  in  a few  minutes  disappeared  from  sight.  The  chief 
shouted  after  them  ; but  no  one  pursued  them.  The  Mexi- 
can was  standing  not  far  from  us  at  the  next  fire,  and  I 
called  him  up  to  give  me  an  explanation  of  the  disturbance. 
Pahnawhay,  however,  explained  to  me,  with  a few  very  in- 
telligible signs,  that  the  two  young  men  loved  the  same 
girl,  and  she  had  given  her  affection  to  both  ; upon  which 
they  quarrelled,  and  had  run  off  to  kill  one  another.  The 
Mexican  confirmed  this  statement ; on  which  I asked  why 
no  one  tried  to  prevent  it ; but  I received  the  laughing 
reply,  as  if  the  thing  were  self-evident,  that  this  was  impos- 
sible. 

In  a very  short  time  all  became  quiet  again  in  camp,  as 
if  nothing  extraordinary  had  happened  ; and,  after  I had  sat 
for  a while  with  the  chief,  I wished  him  good-night. 

Day  had  hardly  dawned  when  I opened  my  door,  and 
stepped  out  into  the  gallery  to  greet  the  fresh  morning.  I 
had  another  caldron  of  coffee  and  a great  quantity  of  maize 
bread  carried  to  the  camp  ; invited  the  chief  and  bis  two 
councillors  of  state  and  his  daughters  to  breakfast ; after 


The  Mescaleros. 


273 


which  he  told  me  that  our  friendship  was  now  eternally 
concluded,  and  that  he  would  depart  with  an  easy  mind. 
I made  him  a number  of  trifling  presents,  such  as  blankets, 
tobacco,  looking-glasses,  vermilion,  &c. ; gave  the  daughters 
several  keepsakes  as  well ; and  my  guests  quitted  me,  ap- 
parently remarkably  well  satisfied. 

During  the  two  days,  Owl  and  Tiger  had  not  shown  them- 
selves, as  the  Delawares,  though  not  open  enemies,  are  not 
on  very  friendly  terms  with  the  Mescaleros ; and  so  they 
went  off  hunting.  Owl  had  received  his  wages  long  before, 
but  still  remained  with  us,  as  he  seemed  to  enjoy  himself, 
in  which  our  cooking  played  a great  part ; but  he  now 
came  one  morning  to  me,  and  said  the  time  had  arrived 
when  he  promised  to  join  his  family,  and  so  he  must  leave 
us,  as  he  did  not  wish  to  render  his  friends  alarmed  about 
his  safety.  He  rode  to  Lasar’s,  and  took  his  leave,  when 
he  received  handsome  presents.  I,  too,  gave  him  numer- 
ous trifles  for  his  fidelity  and  devotedness  ; and  he  went  off, 
accompanied  by  Tiger,  promising  to  pay  me  a visit  very 
shortly. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

THE  SILVER  MINE. 

It  was  now  the  busiest  time  in  the  fields.  The  storms 
had  blown  down  a great  number  of  huge  dried  trunks  stand- 
ing in  the  fields,  which  had  to  be  cut  up,  and  rolled  away ; 
which  business  was  one  of  our  hardest  jobs.  Moreover,  I 
had  the  field  enlarged  ; fenced  in  a very  large  extent  of  land, 
part  prairie,  part  forest,  where  I could  turn  my  mares  and 
colts  out ; and,  on  rainy  days,  had  wood  felled  to  let  it  dry, 
and  afterwards  employ  it  for  building-purposes.  Axe  and 
plough  were  equally  active  on  the  Mustang,  and  on  many 
smaller  streams  in  the  vicinity,  where  civilization  had  set 
its  foot.  Thus  whole  patches  of  forest  disappeared  before 
man’s  busy  hand,  and  the  soil  was  robbed  of  its  natural 
protection  : the  roots  were  turned  up  to  be  burnt  or  rot,  and 
the  earth  was  thus  forced  to  receive  and  generate  seeds  for- 
eign to  it.  The  prairies,  which,  a few  years  back,  had  only 
been  traversed  by  the  desert  animals,  were  now  inhabited 
by  herds  of  tame  domestic  creatures  attached  to  a home ; 
and  the  traveller’s  ear  in  these  regions  was  no  longer 
startled  by  hearing  the  unexpected  sound  of  a cattle  bell. 

But  Nature  will  not  allow  laws  to  be  prescribed  to  her 
without  taking  vengeance,  or  have  changes  made  in  her 
domestic  arrangements  forcibly  by  Jiuman  hands.  With 
the  felling  of  forests,  and  the  turning-up  of  the  soil,  she 
sends  diseases  which  check  her  insulter  in  the  work  he  has 
begun,  and  punish  him  for  his  audacious  inroads.  For  my 
274 


The  Silver  Mine. 


275 


part,  I had  as  yet  been  spared,  while  all  my  companions 
had  been  ill. 

It  was  a very  hot  day  when  I rode  to  the  nearest  town, 
as  usual,  only  provided  with  a blanket,  and,  during  the 
nights,  lay  by  my  fire  in  the  open  air,  with  it  pulled  over 
me.  I remained  several  days  in  town,  and,  during  the  pe- 
riod, felt  a never  before  known  ailing,  and  a reduction  of  my 
strength.  My  business  being  ended,  I rode  off  about  noon 
to  reach  the  next  house,  whose  inhabitants  were  friends  of 
mine.  I arrived  there  about  an  hour  before  sundown,  but 
found  the  family  in  a great  state  of  disorder,  as  the  head  of 
it  had  just  died  of  a violent  attack  of  fever.  Although  I 
felt  very  unwell,  I did  not  like  to  be  troublesome  to  the 
family,  and  rode  on  after  a short  halt.  My  illness  increased 
with  every  quarter  of  an  hour  : at  one  moment  I shook  with 
cold,  at  another  I felt  as  if  I were  being  burnt  alive,  and 
my  head  ached  as  if  it  would  burst.  I rode  on,  although  I 
could  hardly  sit  my  horse,  and  at  last  tottered  in  the  saddle, 
quite  incapable  of  thinking : at  the  same  time,  an  indescri- 
bable burning  thirst  tortured  me,  and  my  tongue  seemed  to 
cleave  to  my  roof ; while  I had  a singing  in  my  ears,  as  if 
there  were  thousands  of  grasshoppers  inside  my  head. 

It  was  nearly  dark  when  I reached  the  middle  of  a very 
wide  plain,  that  was  covered  with  fine,  very  white  sand, 
and  in  which  the  horse,  at  every  step,  sank  above  the 
hocks.  I could  no  longer  remain  in  the  saddle  ; dismount- 
ed, sat  down  on  the  red-hot  sand,  fell  back,  and  became 
perfectly  unconscious : presently  I fell  into  a profound 
sleep,  from  which  I did  not  wake  till  the  next  morniug.  I 
looked  around  in  surprise,  and  it  was  some  time  ere  I could 
remember  what  had  brought  me  here.  I jumped  up,  and 
Trusty,  the  faithful,  leapt  barking  around  me  ; but  I did  not 
see  Czar.  My  feet  would  hardly  carry  me,  and  my  head  was 


276 


The  Backwoodsman. 


as  heavy  as  if  I had  lead  inside  it.  I looked  for  my  horse’s 
track,  dragged  myself  along  it,  and,  to  my  great  consolation, 
saw  the  faithful  creature  in  a hollow,  nibbling  some  cac- 
tuses, and  saddled  and  bridled  as  I had  left  him  on  the  pre- 
vious evening.  I got  on  to  his  back  with  difficulty,  and 
turned  him  in  the  direction  of  home.  Thirst  now  began  to 
grow  unendurable.  The  sun  burst  forth,  and  poured  its 
burning  beams  upon  me  with  such  fury,  that  I fancied  I 
should  never  be  able  to  reach  a pool,  about  five  and  twenty 
miles  distant,  which  contained  the  only  water  in  the  neigh- 
borhhood.  This  pond  was  at  last  the  only  thought  of  which 
I was  capable : at  the  same  time  my  head  threatened  to 
burst,  and  the  fever  shook  me  mercilessly.  My  horse 
walked  along  the  familiar  path  through  the  heat,  and  bore 
me,  when  the  sun  was  vertical,  down  a sand-hill  to  the  edge 
of  the  pond,  where  I sank  powerless,  and  crawled  to  the 
water  in  order  to  moisten  my  burning  lips.  But  it  was  no 
water,  but  a thick,  dark-red  mud,  which  was  nearly  boil- 
ing, and  in  which  buffaloes  had  been  wallowing  vety  shortly 
before.  No  matter.  I lay  with  my  mouth  over  the  thick 
fluid,  and  swallowed  as  much  of  it  as  I could.  It  was  really 
a comfort,  for  the  dryness  of  my  throat  was  removed ; but 
my  helplessness  was  so  great,  that  I could  not  resolve  to 
leave  the  spot,  though  I lay  exposed  to  the  burning  sun  on 
the  hot  sand,  and  was  only  a short  distance  from  shady 
trees. 

I lay  as  I was,  and  had  but  one  thought,  — that  the  sun 
must  kill  me  here  ; but  still  I could  not  muster  up  the  cour- 
age to  go  away.  At  length,  towards  evening,  when  the 
sun  was  lower,  the  terrible  fever  gave  way  a little.  I crept 
slowly  into  the  shade,  and  soon  was  asleep  under  the  tree. 
It  was  quite  dark  when  I awoke,  and,  though  very  faint,  my 
head  was  clearer.  I went  up  to  Czar,  who  had  been  graz- 


The  Silver  Mine. 


277 


ing  by  my  side  all  this  time,  got  into  the  saddle,  and  con- 
tinued my  journey,  on  which  the  pleasant  light  of  the  new 
moon  lit  me,  and  the  cool  evening  breeze  refreshed  me.  I 
rode  till  ten  o’clock,  when  I reached  the  Lynx  Spring, 
which  I had  christened  after  one  of  those  animals  that  I had 
found  dead  here  many  years  ago,  and  whose  water  was  the 
best  for  miles  around.  I was  quickly  off  Czar’s  back 
among  the  roots  of  the  magnolia,  beneath  which  the  spring 
bubbled  up  ; and  I drank  as  if  I should  never  be  satisfied. 
I had  a biscuit  and  a paper  of  coarse  sugar  about  me.  This 
was  my  supper ; and  I washed  it  down  with  the  pure  fluid. 
I felt  much  refreshed,  drew  many  a deep  breath  in  the  pow- 
erful breeze,  and  gazed  at  the  patches  of  light  around  me 
which  were  thrown  by  the  moon  through  the  dense  foliage, 
and  through  the  violent  motion  of  the  leaves  trembled,  and 
continually  altered  their  shape.  It  was  a very  dangerous 
spot,  as  this  water  was  the  only  spring  for  miles  round, 
and  wandering  Indians  often  select  it  as  their  destination 
after  travelling  for  a day  through  the  desolate,  waterless 
sand-plain3 ; but  I would  not  have  ridden  away,  even  if  I 
had  been  compelled  to  defend  myself  against  a whole  tribe. 
I had  a few  good  cigars  about  me,  and  lit  one,  which  I 
smoked^  leaning  against  a tree,  and,  as  I fancied,  inhaling 
fresh  strength  at  every  breath. 

It  was  about  midnight,  when  I set  out  to  reach  a camp- 
ing-place at  which  I should  not  be  so  threatened  as  at  the 
present  one  ; and,  after  filling  my  gourd  with  water,  I rode 
away,  faintly  lighted  by  the  waning  moon.  I knew  the 
road  thoroughly,  and  the  outline  of  the  trees  was  sufficient 
to  enable  me  to  keep  my  course.  I could,  if  my  horse  went 
at  any  pace,  reach,  within  an  hour,  a well-known  camping- 
place  at  which  I had  passed  many  a night,  and  which  lay 
but  a little  way  off  my  route.  It  certainly  had  no  water, 


278 


The  Backwoodsman. 


but  excellent  grass  for  my  horse  ; and  hence  various  sorts 
of  game  could  generally  be  found  there.  The  main  point 
was  that  it  lay  some  distance  from  the  principal  Indian 
path,  and  was  tolerably  concealed,  so  that  a fire  could  be 
lighted  there  without  any  great  risk  of  being  seen  from  a 
distanced  It  soon  became  very  dark,  after  the  moon  had 
sunk  behind  the  hills  in  front  of  me  ; and  I was  obliged  to 
yield  the  reins  to  Czar,  and  leave  it  to  him  to  find  the  road, 
while  I sent  Trusty  on  a little  way  ahead  to  make  certain 
there  was  no  danger.  Every  now  and  then,  however,  I 
saw  by  familiar  clumps  of  trees  or  knolls  that  I was  still  on 
the  right  track ; and  I approached  my  destination  rather 
quickly,  considering  the  circumstances.  The  country 
through  which  I rode  consisted  more  or  less  of  sandy  hills, 
covered  with  isolated  black  oaks  without  any  scrub,  under 
which  grew  a very  tall  grass,  disliked  by  cattle,  which  had 
now  eutirely  decayed.  So  far  as  I could  judge  in  the  dark- 
ness, I was  no  longer  any  great  distance  from  my  camping- 
place  ; for  I saw  in  a hollow,  on  my  left,  a wood  running 
along  my  route,  and  which  I knew  to  be  a swampy  patch, 
in  which  all  the  rain-water  of  the  neighborhood  collected. 
On  my  saddle  hung  several  new  tin  cups,  and  a coffee-pot 
of  the  same  material,  which  rattled  at  every  movement  of 
my  horse,  and  thus  produced  a ringing  sound  which  could 
be  heard  for  some  distance.  I dismounted,  and  twined  dry 
grass  between  them  to  keep  them  quiet. 

I had  just  remounted  my  horse,  and  was  riding  up  a hill, 
when  suddenly  bright  flames  sprang  up  not  far  behind  the 
latter,  and  illumined  the  whole  country  around.  In  terror 
I stopped  my  horse,  and  saw,  in  a few  minutes,  that  not 
only  on  the  right  of  the  hill  the  flames  rose  to  the  branches 
of  the  surrounding  oaks,  but  that  the  fire  was  spreading 
with  extraordinary  fury  on  my  right  and  in  my  rear. 


The  Silver  Mine. 


279 


There  was  only  one  opening  in  this  circle  of  fire,  on  my 
right,  near  the  swamp.  I turned  Czar  round,  and  galloped 
through  the  low  oaks  and  tall  grass  towards  the  valley,  in 
which  I was  obliged  to  trust  to  the  safe  foothold  of  my 
horse,  as  I could  not  see  a sign  of  a path.  The  wind  luck- 
ily was  not  very  violent,  or  else  I could  not  have  escaped  : 
as  it  was,  I reached  the  wood  before  the  fire  darted  down 
into  the  bottom  behind  me.  I stood  here  on  moist  ground, 
between  green  bushes  which  the  flames  could  not  reach, 
and  saw  that  they  had  fired  the  oaks,  and  converted  each 
of  them  into  a fiery  pyramid.  The  whole  country  ahead  of 
me  was  now  a mass  of  fire,  whose  tongues  rose  over  fifty 
feet,  in  which  the  flames  of  the  trees  could  be  recognized 
by  their  dark-red  hue,  while  above  them  the  ruddy  clouds  of 
smoke  rose  to  the  sky.  Ere  long,  however,  the  burning 
oaks  stood  alone  like  pillars  of  fire  on  the  denuded  knolls, 
and  the  sparks  flew  out  of  them  with  a terrible  roaring  and 
crackling.  I stood  before  this  fire  till  day  broke  and 
showed  me  the  black  skeletons  of  the  still  burning  trees, 
and  the  dark  smoke-clouds  rising  above  them.  Ere  long, 
only  small  flames  crept  round  the  bare  trunks.  I mounted 
my  horse  to  get  away  from  this  scene  of  conflagration,  and 
rode  up  the  wood,  being  obliged  frequently  to  draw  nearer 
to  the  burning  trees  to  escape  the  swampy  ground,  until  at 
last  I was  compelled  to  pass  through  the  fire,  owing  to  the 
impassable  nature  of  the  ground.  The  smoke,  the  black 
ash,  and  the  heat  were  almost  unendurable,  and  frequently 
heavy  branches  fell  close  to  me.  I rode  as  sharply  as  I 
could,  and  in  an  hour  reached  an  open  burnt  clearing, 
where  I was  once  more  able  to  draw  fresh  breath.  The 
fire  had  undoubtedly  been  lit  simultaneously  at  different 
points  for  the  purpose  of  burning  me  by  the  Indians  : but 
none  of  them  had  ventured  on  to  the  prairie  leading  down 


280 


The  Backwoodsman. 


to  the  bottom  ; as  I could  see  over  it,  and,  if  a fire  had  been 
lit  there,  I could  have  detected  the  culprits. 

I hurried  along  in  the  refreshing  morning  breeze,  and 
arrived  about  noon  at  a stream,  on  whose  bank  I turned 
into  the  adjoining  wood,  and  granted  my  horse  and  myself 
a rest.  On  the  road  I had  shot  a turkey,  which  pacified 
my  hunger  and  Trusty’s ; and  I strengthened  myself  by  a 
sound  sleep,  from  which  I did  not  awake  till  evening.  Du- 
ring the  whole  day  I had  felt  tolerably  well,  but  looked  with 
terror  for  the  next,  as  I must  expect  that  my  fever  would 
return  every  second  day  : so  I rode,  till  a rather  late  hour, 
in  order  to  reach  a camp  where  I wTas  tolerably  certain  I 
could  pass  the  day  without  disturbance.  Before  I rode  off, 
I dug  up  some  roots  of  the  tulip-tree,  and  chewed  them, 
swallowing  the  juice,  till  I reached  camp.  These  roots  are 
one  of  the  best  remedies  against  fever  which  Nature  offers 
in  these  regions.  I slept  till  the  sun  disturbed  me,  and 
woke  with  aching  head  and  weary  limbs.  I took  Czar  to 
graze,  and  then  lay  down  on  my  blankets,  after  placing  my 
gourd  full  of  fresh  water  by  my  side.  The  attack  of  fever 
was  not  very  violent : about  two,  p.m.,  I was  able  to  con- 
tinue my  journey,  and  slept  that  night  on  an  affluent  of  the 
Mustang.  The  next  morning,  I mounted  at  an  early  hour, 
in  order  to  reach  the  fort  as  soon  as  possible ; and  made 
Czar  step  out,  as  I felt  very  well. 

About  ten  o’clock,  I rode  through  a prairie  which  ran 
dow  to  the  Mustang,  which  here,  an  insignificant  stream, 
flowed  between  high  banks  over  loose  pebbles,  and  was  only 
deep  at  isolated  spots.  The  prairie  was  covered  with 
clumps  of  tall  cactuses  and  sunflowers  ; and  I was  riding 
between  some  of  them,  when  a large  stag  got  up  before  me, 
and  stopped  a little  way  ahead.  I turned  Czar  half  round, 
and  shot  the  stag,  which  fell,  but  got  up  again,  and  ran  off 


Trusty  and  the  Alligator.  Page  281. 


The  Silver  Mine. 


281 


to  the  Mustang.  As  I saw  that  it  was  very  sick,  I sent 
Trusty  after  it,  who  soon  disappeared  with  it  in  a thicket ; 
and  I had  scarcely  reloaded,  when  I heard  his  hoarse  bark, 
and  recognized  by  its  tone  that  he  was  occupied  with  some- 
thing else  than  the  stag.  I went  up  the  wood  as  fast  as 
Czar  could  carry  me,  leapt  off,  and  ran  through  the  bushes 
to  the  bank  where  I heard  Trusty’s  voice.  A mortal  terror 
assailed  me  on  seeing  Trusty  in  shallow  water  near  a deep 
spot,  with  his  left  hind-leg  in  the  jaw  of  an  alligator,  whose 
skull  he  was  smashing  with  his  teeth,  though  this  did  not 
make  it  open  its  clinched  teeth.  I sprang  at  one  bound 
into  the  river,  in  order  to  prevent  the  horrible  brute  from 
reaching  deep  water,  to  which  it  was  retreating,  and  was 
only  a few  feet  from  it.  I sprang  on  the  beast’s  back,  held 
it  between  my  knees  tightly,  and  lifted  it  into  the  shallow 
water,  while  it  lashed  its  tail  madly.  I now  pulled  out  a 
revolver,  held  it  against  the  hinge  of  the  jawbone,  and  fired 
one  bullet  after  the  other,  till  the  bones  were  splintered,  and 
the  lower  jaw  fell  off,  liberating  Trusty  from  his  arrest.  I 
examined  him,  and  found  that  his  leg-bone  was  not  injured, 
though  the  flesh  had  suffered  severely  : at  the  sameiime  he  was 
losing  much  blood,  and  appeared  to  be  enduring  great  pain. 
The  stag  lay  close  to  the  scene  of  contest ; so  I drew  it 
ashore,  and  cut  off  the  haunches : then  I fetched  Czar, 
bound  one  of  them  on  either  side  of  the  saddle,  packed  a 
lot  of  bushes  on  the  lot,  and  spread  my  blanket  over  them, 
on  which  I raised  Trusty,  after  I had  bound  up  his  wounds 
as  well  as  I could  with  wet  pocket-handkerchiefs.  I reached 
home  in  the  afternoon,  and  at  once  made  a decoction  of  the 
roots  of  the  tulip  and  pomegranate  and  willow  bark  in  or- 
der to  check  the  fever,  which  it  soon  effected,  combined 
with  a strict  regimen. 

Tiger  returned,  after  accompanying  his  friend  to  the  Pu- 


282 


The  Backwoodsman . 


erco  River,  whence  the  latter  travelled  on  alone  to  Santa 
F4,  at  which  place  he  had  promised  to  meet  his  friends 
about  this  time.  My  young  Indian  friend  now  complained 
very  often  that  I allowed  him  to  ride  out  hunting  alone, 
which  was  most  disagreeable  to  him,  as  I did  not  permit 
him  to  take  Trusty,  who  was  of  such  great  value  in  the 
bear-hunts,  which  are  principally  carried  on  at  this  season. 
I had  certainly  placed  Leo,  an  excellent  dog,  at  his  service  ; 
but  he  was  only  half  the  value  of  Trusty.  One  evening, 
Tiger  returned  from  hunting,  and  told  me  that  he  knew 
where  a very  large  bear  was  sleeping,  but  it  would  be  diffi- 
cult to  get  at  it,  as  it  was  living  in  an  old  cypress  that  grew 
in  the  middle  of  the  river,  and  was  too  large  to  fell.  He 
described  the  spot  to  me,  and  I at  once  recognized  the  tree. 
We  talked  about  the  matter  at  supper,  and  resolved  to  make 
an  attempt  to  get  hold  of  the  sleeper  on  the  next  day. 

On  the  following  morning  we  put  our  weapons,  axes,  and 
dinner  in  the  canoe,  and  floated  down  the  river  in  it.  It 
was  carried  along  by  the  current  like  a dart,  so  that  we 
were  obliged  to  steer  very  carefully  between  the  numerous 
rocks.  In  an  hour  we  stopped  at  the  cypress,  which  was 
nearly  six  feet  in  diameter.  We  cut  down  some  saplings 
on  the  bank,  conveyed  them  to  one  side  of  the  tree,  and 
fastened  them  together  so  as  to  form  a raft  on  which  we 
could  stand  ; we  then  placed  the  canoe  on  the  other  side  of 
the  tree,  and  set  to  work  with  our  axes  felling  it.  In  addi- 
tion to  Tiger  and  myself,  Konigstein  and  Antonio  had 
come,  so  that  one  of  us  was  always  able  to  rest.  About 
noon  we  had  got  some  distance  through  the  tree  ; and  as  we 
had  heard  nothing  of  the  bear,  we  began  greatly  to  doubt 
whether  it  was  in  it : but  Tiger  insisted,  in  spite  of  our 
laughter  and  chaff,  that  it  was  sleeping  .there.  We  dined, 
drank  the  health  of  the  occupant  of  the  tree,  and  then  set 


The  Silver  Mine. 


283 


to  work  again.  In  a few  hours,  the  supports  of  the  tree  be- 
came so  weak,  that  it  was  time  to  take  precautions  lest  it 
should  fall  on  us.  We  had  hewn  it  on  the  side  of  the  raft, 
towards  which  it  naturally  hung  ; and  we  now  all  proceeded  to 
our  canoe,  and  held  ourselves  in  readiness  to  push  off  at  any 
moment.  We  gave  the  tree  a few  more  cuts,  and  ere  long 
we  heard  the  first  sound  of  cracking  in  its  wood.  We  were 
certain  that  it  could  only  fall  over  the  raft ; and  the  only 
danger  was  that  it  might  slip  backwards  from  the  stump,  in 
•which  case  we  might  easily  be  sunk.  A couple  more  blows, 
and  the  lofty  crown  of  the  cypress  bent  more  over  the  raft ; 
one  more  stroke,  and  it  groaned  and  cracked  at  its  base  : 
we  pushed  off,  and  with  a frightful  crash  it  fell  into  the 
river,  and  splashed  up  the  water  so  high  that  we  were  com- 
pletely wet  through,  while  the  splinters  and  broken  branches 
flew  in  all  directions.  We  involuntarily  held  our  heads 
down  into  the  boat,  which  was  raised  a great  height  by  the 
waves ; but  after  the  first  oscillation  we  all  burst  into  a 
hearty  laugh,  and  mockingly  asked  Tiger,  “ Where  is  our 
bear?  ” At  the  same  moment,  however,  the  bear  leapt  out 
of  the  middle  of  the  splinters  covering  the  surface  of  the 
river ; and  while  the  water  poured  down,  and  prevented  it 
from  seeing,  it  laid  its  huge  fore-paws  on  the  floating  pieces 
of  wood,  and  sought  a support,  by  means  of  which  it  could 
lift  itself  out  of  the  disagreeable  element.  “ The  bear  ! ” 
everybody  shouted  ; and  we  seized  our  rifles,  and  fired  at  it. 
At  the  moment  when  it  reached  the  stern  of  our  boat,  and 
was  trying  to  get  into  it  by  means  of  its  paws,  Kouigstein 
ran  at  the  brute  with  his  sharp  axe,  and  buried  it  deep  in 
the  skull  of  the  enormous  animal,  and  then  drove  into  its 
carcass  the  bent  iron  point  of  the  boat-hook  to  prevent  it 
from  sinking.  We  pulled  quickly  ashore,  where  we  hauled 
in  our  quarry  with  lassos. 


284 


The  Backwoodsman. 


Antonio  ran  back  to  the  fort,  and  fetched  our  cart  with 
two  mules,  with  which  he  joined  us  before  sunset.  With 
the  help  of  the  animals,  we  pulled  first  the  bear  and  then  the 
canoe  on  land ; rolled  the  former  into  the  cart ; then  raised 
the  canoe  on  the  back  of  it,  where  we  secured  it ; and  so 
drove  back  to  the  fort,  with  the  stern  of  our  boat  trailing 
along  the  grass.  The  bear  gave  us  a large  quantity  of 
splendid  fat,  and  its  smoked  flesh  long  supplied  our  table. 


4 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

THE  PURSUIT. 

Lasak  and  I were  occupied  for  several  weeks  on  the  set- 
tlement of  Messrs.  Clifton  and  MacDonnell  and  a Mr.  Wil- 
son. The  latter  had  arrived  from  Georgia,  with  a consider- 
able fortune  and  numerous  negroes ; and  the  three  young 
men  settled  together  on  Turkey  Creek,  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Widow  White.  We  helped  them  by  word  and  deed ; 
and,  in  a short  time,  a very  large  lot  of  ground  was  cleared 
and  sown  with  maize,  although  it  was  late  in  the  year  for 
it,  and  a large  garden  laid  out,  and  the  necessary  buildings 
erected  at  a spot  where,  very  recently,  an  axe  had  never 
been  laid  against  a tree,  or  a plough  had  turned  a furrow 
in  the  earth.  The  three  young  men  set  eagerly  about  the 
heavy  work  which  such  a new  settlement  demands,  and 
were  busy  the  whole  day  in  the  garden  or  the  field,  or  else 
in  felling  wood.  While  doing  so,  they  often  forgot  that 
they  and  not  we  were  now  living  on  the  outermost  Indian 
frontier,  and  constantly  went  from  home  unarmed.  They 
went  into  the  woods  with  an  axe  to  fell  trees,  or  rode  with- 
out any  weapons  into  the  prairie  to  drive  home  their  milch 
kine  or  fetch  their  draught  oxen.  Lasar  and  I had  fre- 
quently blamed  them  for  this  negligence,  but  it  was  of  no 
use  ; and  often,  when  we  visited  them,  one  or  the  other  was 
away  from  home  unarmed.  While  we,  during  the  years  that 
we  had  no  neighbors,  when  working  in  the  field,  chained  up 
our  dogs  round  it,  in  order  to  be  informed  of  the  approach 

285 


286 


The  Backwoodsman. 


of  stalking  Indians,  and  carried  our  rifles  either  on  the 
plough  or  on  our  backs,  they  ploughed  and  worked  for  days 
without  a dog  or  any  other  weapon  but  their  hands.  Their 
dwelling  stood  on  the  south  bank  of  the  river,  where  it 
joined  the  prairie  ; but  they  had  their  field  on  the  northern 
side,  in  a wood  which  extended  for  a considerable  distance. 

At  an  early  hour  one  morning,  they  all  three  crossed  the 
river  with  a few  negroes,  in  order  to  thin  the  growing 
maize  crop  ; which  operation  is  generally  performed  in  the 
morning,  as  you  are  obliged  to  stoop  constantly,  which  is 
very  fatiguing  in  the  hot  sun.  All  three  took  their  weap- 
ons into  the  field,  and  rested  them  against  the  fence,  as  they 
thought  it  too  much  trouble  to  carry  them  on  their  backs. 
They  followed  the  rows  of  maize,  one  behind  the  other, 
from  one  end  of  the  field  to  the  other,  and  were  again  near- 
ing the  spot  where  they  had  placed  their  rifles,  when  sud- 
denly some  fifty  Indians  dashed  over  the  fence  with  a loud 
war-yell,  and  attacked  them.  They  could  not  think  of 
flight,  as  the  Indians  surrounded  them  before  they  could 
recover  from  their  first  terror.  Resistance  was  equally  im- 
possible, as  they  were  quite  unarmed  ; and  hence  the  sole 
chance  of  escape  lay  in  the  mercy  of  the  barbarians  to 
whom  they  surrendered.  The  two  negroes  were  accident- 
ally at  the  other  end  of  the  field,  and,  at  the  first  glimpse 
of  the  Indians,  leapt  over  the  fence  into  the  woods  to  save 
themselves  by  hiding  in  its  recesses.  On  looking  round, 
they  saw  that  each  of  the  three  young  men  was  surrounded 
by  a party  of  Indians  busied  in  tying  his  arms  behind  his 
back.  They  ran  through  the  wood  to  the  river,  swam 
across  it,  and,  on  reaching  the  houses,  leapt  with  the  other 
negroes  on  horses  and  mules,  fled  with  the  utmost  speed 
towards  the  south,  across  the  prairie,  and  reached  my  fort 
before  sunset,  horrified,  and  half  frightened  to  death. 


The  Pursuit. 


287 


The  terrible  news  aroused  all  my  people.  I at  once  sent 
a negro  to  Lasar’s  to  tell  him  of  what  had  happened,  and, 
at  the  same  time,  beg  him  to  join  me  as  speedily  as  possi- 
ble, in  order  to  pursue  the  Indians,  and,  if  possible,  save 
the  prisoners,  during  which  time  we  made  our  preparations 
for  immediate  departure.  I had  provisions  got  ready  and 
packed  on  a mule,  which,  this  time,  was  not  faithful  Jack, 
as  he  had  been  galled  by  a badly  fastened  saddle : after 
this,  a stock  of  ammunition  was  laid  in,  and  we  sat  down 
to  supper,  which  meal  we  had  hardly  finished  when  our 
friends  from  Mustang  Creek,  eight  in  number,  galloped 
over  the  prairie,  led  by  old  Lasar  himself,  who  was  fire 
and  flame,  and  vowed  revenge  like  the  youngest  of  us. 
Tiger,  Antonio,  Konigstein,  and  one  of  the  colonists  of  the 
name  of  Lambert,  accompanied  me  ; and  we  were  soon  ur- 
ging our  horses  at  full  speed  through  the  gloomy  forest. 

Tiger  led  our  party,  who  trotted  on  as  long  as  the  moon- 
light lasted,  but  then  fell  into  a walk,  and,  towards  morn- 
ing, reached  the  deserted  blockhouses  of  the  prisoners. 
We  expected  that'  the  Indians  would  have  burnt  them 
down,  but  found  them  uninjured,  which  proved  to  us  in 
what  haste  they  must  have  departed  with  their  quarry. 
We  rode  through  the  river  into  the  wood,  and  found  the 
spot  where  the  savages  had  lifted  their  prisoners  over  the 
fence,  and  led  them  to  its  northern  end.  Here  we  found 
the  traces  of  numerous  horses  galloping  in  the  direction  of 
the  northern  mountains.  Tiger  examined  all  the  signs  very 
carefully,  and,  after  we  had  followed  the  trail  for  about  an 
hour,  dismounted,  and  sought  about  in  the  grass.  Ere  long 
he  stretched  out  his  arms,  and  parted  fingers  to  the  north 
and  north-west,  and  told  me  that  the  fellows  we  were  pur- 
suing had  divided  here,  and  were  pursuing  different  routes ; 

which  fact  I was  also  able  to  recognize  after  a slight  inves- 

♦ 


288 


The  Backwoodsman. 


tigation.  I asked  Tiger  what  we  were  to  do ; but  he 
laughed,  and,  joining  his  hands  together,  and  pointing  to 
the  north,  he  stated  that  the  Indians  would  come  together 
again  on  the  other  side  of  the  mountains  in  two  days. 

We  now  followed  a trail  which  ran  along  a deeply  trod- 
den buffalo-path,  and  reached,  before  sunset,  a spot  in  a 
valley  covered  with  isolated  rocks,  trees,  and  bushes, 
which  was  bordered  on  both  sides  by  steep  hills.  Here 
Tiger  suddenly  stopped,  and  leapt  from  his  horse.  I rode 
up  to  him ; and  he  showed  me  on  the  bare  rocks  that  sev- 
eral horses  had  left  the  track,  and  turned  off  to  the  left 
down  the  glen.  He  showed  me  several  pebbles  which  had 
been  turned  over  by  the  horses,  and  on  the  rocks  the  graze 
of  their  hoofs,  as  well  as  here  and  there  a trampled  leaf  or 
a broken  blade  of  grass.  He  followed  this  trail  carefully, 
and  requested  me  to  follow  him,  while  making  a sign  to 
the  others  to  remain  on  the  path.  A few  thousand  yards 
farther  on,  the  track  wound  between  large  masses  of  stone, 
till  we  reached  a clearing,  on  the  other  side  of  which  we 
found  signs  of  an  extinguished  fire  near  a spring.  Tiger 
picked  up  a blackened  bit  of  wood,  and  showed  me  by  rub- 
bing it  with  his  finger  that  the  wood  was  still  wet,  and 
hence,  as  it  lay  in  the  open  sunshine,  must  have  gone  out 
shortly  before.  He  now  begged  me  to  call  up  our  com- 
rades, so  that  we  might  rest  ourselves  and  our  tired  horses 
here  for  a little  while.  I rode  up  to  them ; and,  when  we 
returned  to  Tiger,  he  showed  us,  behind  the  spring,  the 
shambles  where  one  of  the  unhappy  prisoners  had  ended 
his  life.  On  a large  flat  stone,  we  saw  a quantity  of  cur- 
dled, half-dry  blood,  and  behind  it  lay  the  entrails  of  a 
man.  Round  the  stone  we  found  marks  of  boot-heels, 
which  had  probably  belonged  to  the  murdered  man,  and 
had  been  put  on  by  one  of  the  savages.  Our  fury  against 


The  Pursuit. 


289 


them  was  terrible,  and  we  would  gladly  have  pursued  them 
without  resting,  had  our  horses  been  able  to  carry  us  ; but 
they  were  too  tired,  and  greatly  required  a rest. 

We  supped,  and  slept  till  near  day,  and  by  dawn  we 
were  following  the  trail  again,  along  the  path  which  we 
had  quitted  on  the  previous  evening.  Without  halting 
longer  than  was  necessary,  we  rode  hard  all  day  through 
the  most  impassable  regions  of  the  San  Saba  Mountains, 
and  reached  in  the  evening  the  prairies  on  their  north  side. 
We  were  still  on  the  same  trail,  which  had  been  made  by 
five  or  six  horses,  and  unsaddled  when  the  sun  had  long 
disappeared  behind  the  hill ; and  Tiger  was  unable  to  follow 
the  trail.  We  had  ridden  very  sharply,  so  that  our  horses 
would  hardly  touch  the  good  fodder  here  offered  them  ; and 
we  had  no  sooner  watered  them  in  an  adjacent  stream  than 
they  lay  down  in  the  grass  with  a long  breath,  and  fell 
asleep.  We  did  not  tie  them  up,  so  that  they  might  graze 
directly  they  awoke,  but  kept  up  a good  fire  the  whole 
night,  and  posted  a sentinel. 

At  daybreak  we  were  en  route  again,  and  hurrying  after 
Tiger,  who  led  us  along  the  foot  of  the  mountains.  About 
coon,  we  rode  through  one  the  streams  that  flow  into  the 
Colorado,  and  found  in  the  wood  on  its  bank  a deserted 
camp,  from  which  the  fugitives  could  not  be  gone  long,  as 
the  bushes  and  weeds  trampled  by  the  horses  were  not  dry 
yet.  We  merely  watered  our  horses,  and  then  urged  them 
on ; for  Tiger  believed  that  we  must  catch  up  the  Indians 
that  same  evening,  as  their  horses  were  tired,  and  did  not 
raise  their  feet  high  from  the  ground.  Evening  arrived : 
and,  in  the  distance,  another  forest  rose  out  of  the  prairie, 
which  we  reached  with  night ; but  our  foe  had  gone  farther 
on,  and  we  were  compelled  to  halt  again,  as  we  could  not 
follow  their  trail.  Our  guide  consoled  us  with  the  morrow, 
id 


2£)0 


The  Backwoodsman. 


and  said  their  horses  could  not  last  out  any  longer.  We 
rode  the  whole  day,  however,  without  seeing  any  thiug  of 
the  Indians,  save  the  track  of  their  horses.  About  sunset 
we  rode  into  another  forest,  in  which  we  hoped  to  find  run- 
ning water : we  soon  halted  on  its  bank,  and  noticed,  on  the 
other  side,  the  last  camping-place  of  the  Indians  ; for  several 
of  then-  fires  were  still  burning,  and  Tiger  said  that  they 
now  supposed  themselves  out  of  danger,  and  would  not  ride 
so  fast.  We  crossed  the  stream,  in  order  to  occupy  the  de- 
serted camp  ; but  had  scarce  reached  it,  when  Tiger  called 
to  me,  and  pointed  to  a young  tree  with  a smooth  shining 
bark,  the  lower  part  of  which  was  dyed  with  blood.  He 
told  me  that  one  of  the  white  men  had  been  murdered  here  : 
the  Indians  had  tied  him  up  to  the  tree,  and  fired  arrows  at 
him ; and  the  bark  displayed  numerous  marks  of  their 
points.  At  the  height  of  a man  the  tree  was  sprinkled  with 
blood  ; and  over  it  we  found  a deep  cut,  which  appeared  to 
have  been  made  by  a tomahawk.  The  Indians  seemed  to 
have  come  together  again  here  ; for  a number  of  fires  had 
been  lighted,  and  the  trampled  ground  indicated  a large 
troop  of  horses.  We  all  insisted  on  riding  on  at  once  ; but 
Tiger  reminded  us  that  it  was  impossible  to  follow  the  trail, 
and  by  over-riding  it  we  might  easily  lose  much  time,  and 
give  the  cannibals  a chance  of  escape. 

Our  impatience  had  attained  the  highest  pitch  : all  were 
ready  to  start,  but  it  was  still  too  dark : we  stood  by  our 
grazing  cattle,  and  counted  the  minutes  till  dawn  appeared, 
and  allowed  us  to  see  the  track  of  our  enemies  once  more. 
Then  we  hastened  on,  and  joyfully  greeted  every  thicket  in 
front  of  us,  as  we  hoped  to  find  the  cannibals  in  it,  and  be 
able  to  take  vengeance  on  them  for  our  friends.  Our  hopes 
were  frequently  disappointed ; and  the  sun  was  approach- 
ing the  western  hills  when  we  still  urged  on  our  awfully 


The  Pursuit. 


291 


tired  horses,  following  the  trail  of  the  Indian  horses,,  which 
could  not  possibly  be  far  from  us,  as  their  excreta  on 
the  path  plainly  indicated.  Once  again  a wood  rose  before 
us  on  the  prairie,  but  it  was  still  so  distant  that  we  could 
not  hope  to  reach  it  before  dark.  Tiger  told  me  that  we 
must  either  ride  very  sharply,  so  as  to  reach  the  wood  by 
daylight,  or  camp  on  this  side,  and  approach  the  wood  at 
dawn  ; as  we  should  get  the  worst  of  it  if  we  came  upon  the 
6avagcs  in  the  darkness.  We  resolved  on  the  former 
course,  and  collected  the  last  strength  of  our  animals. 
Spurring  and  flogging,  we  went  on  at  a trot  or  a gallop,  as 
if  certain  of  reaching  our  destination  to-day.  Oue  of  our 
friends  might  possibly  be  saved  by  a few  minutes*  sharp 
riding,  and  so  we  paid  no  heed  to  the  fatigue  and  pace  of 
our  horses.  We  rapidly  approached  the  wood  ; but  so  did 
the  sun  the  hills,  which  soon  spread  their  lengthened  shad- 
ow over  the  plain.  The  country  before  us  became  more 
uneven,  and  covered  with  large  blocks  of  stones  ; and  here 
and  there  rose  an  isolated  clump  of  trees  and  bushes,  while 
the  forest  appeared  to  be  half  an  hour’s  ride  distant.  The 
darker  it  grew,  the  sharper  we  rode ; and  we  dashed  at  a 
gallop  between  the  rocks  towards  a patch  of  young  oaks, 
with  Tiger  some  distance  ahead  of  us.  While  galloping 
round  some  rocks,  I saw  him  suddenly  turn  his  piebald 
towards  us,  and  halt  in  the  clump  of  trees,  which  we  reached 
in  a few  minutes  ; and  Tiger  informed  us  that  the  savages 
were  sleeping  no  great  distance  ahead,  on  the  barreu  bank 
of  a river. 

Our  excitement  was  frightful : trembling  with  eagerness, 
we  fastened  our  steaming  horses  to  the  long  branches  of  the 
young  oaks,  thrust  our  holster  pistols  in  our  belts,  and  ad- 
vanced, leaving  Antonio  with  the  horses,  silently  and  noise- 
lessly after  Tiger,  when  it  had  been  arranged  that  I should 


292 


The  Backwoodsman. 


give  the  signal  for  a general  attack  by  firing  first.  The 
moon  was  high,  but  lighted  us  poorly ; the  daylight,  how- 
ever, had  not  quite  faded  away,  when  we  emerged  from  the 
rocks,  and  reached  a small  knoll,  over  which  we  saw  almost 
invisible  columns  of  smoke  rising  at  various  points.  We 
spread  out  here  in  a long  line,  and  crept  up  the  hill,  covered 
by  some  isolated  rocks.  When  we  reached  the  top,  we  saw' 
the  savages  about  thirty  yards  from  us,  collected  round 
several  fires.  A deadly  silence  brooded  over  the  slightly 
illumined  landscape,  which  was  only  broken  by  the  rustling 
of  the  rapid  stream,  on  whose  banks  the  Indians  were  en- 
camped. The  glow  of  the  fires  cast  a dark-red  reflection 
over  the  brown  bodies  of  the  reclining  savages  sufficient  to 
enable  us  to  see  them  more  distinctly,  while  the  light  of  the 
moon  illumined  the  sights  on  our  rifles. 

All  our  barrels  were  pointed  at  the  cannibals ; and  we 
could  hear  our  hearts  beating,  while  they  did  not  suspect 
the  approaching  vengeance,  and  were  most  of  them  asleep. 
The  wide  chest  of  one  of  the  ruffians  was  lit  up  by  the  fire 
right  in  front  of  me,  while  he  was  gazing  into  the  ashes 
with  his  head  resting  on  his  right  arm.  The  sight  of  my 
rifle  was  pointed  at  his  heart,  when  I pulled  trigger.  At 
the  same  moment,  the  rifles  of  all  my  comrades  cracked y 
and  directly  after  we  fired  our  second  barrels  among  the 
rising  Indians,  who  for  a moment  raised  their  war-yell,  but. 
then  fled  in  great  confusion,  and  dashed  into  the  river,  be- 
neath the  fire  of  our  revolvers  and  pistols.  In  this  faintly 
lighted  scene  of  fury  and  terror,  the  long  red  and  white 
striped  silk  handkerchief  on  Tiger’s  head  waved,  the  broad 
blade  of  his  heavy  knife  glistened  in  his  right  hand,  his 
shrill  voice  filled  the  ears  of  the  cannibals  with  the  war-cry 
of  the  Delawares  ; and,  immediately  after  the  first  shot,  he 
flew,  worthy  of  his  name,  among  them,  and  spread  death 


The  Pursuit. 


293 


/ 


among  their  ranks.  Trusty,  too,  forgot  his  usual  obedience, 
and  pinned  one  of  the  savages,  by  the  throat,  who  had  fired 
an  arrow  at  him : he  killed  the  Indian  * in  a few  minutes, 
and  then  dragged  him  about  in  the  grass,  satiating  his  fury. 
In  a short  time  the  battle-field  was  deserted  by  the  enemy, 
with  the  exception  of  two  and  twenty  killed  and  wounded 
they  left  on  it,  the  latter  of  whom  Tiger  soon  sent  to  join 
the  former  with  his  tomahawk.  His  war  axe  flew  from 
skull  to  skull,  and  with  every  blow  drove  a soul  but  of  its 
earthly  tenement ; after  which  he  raised  the  hair  of  several 
whom  he  had  killed  in  action. 

The  fight  was  hardly  over,  when  a familiar  voice  called 
several  of  our  names,  especially  Lasar’s,  mine,  and  Tiger’s. 
It  came  from  a little  way  off  the  camp,  and  reached  us  but 
faintly.  We  ran  in  the  direction,  and,  to  our  joyful  sur- 
prise, found  MacDonnell  bound  hand  and  foot,  lying  on  the 
grass  behind  a rock.  His  bonds  were  quickly  cut ; but  he 
was  unable  to  get  up.  We  bore  him  to  the  nearest  fire,  blew 
it  into  a bright  flame,  and  now  looked  at  the  death-like  face 
of  our  poor  friend,  who,  since  his  captivity,  had  endured 
death  in  a thousand  shapes,  and  envied  his  two  comrades 
their  release  from  torture.  He  was  so  fatigued  that  he  was 
unable  to  sit  up.  The  joy  at  our  appearance,  and  the  fear 
lest  we  might  go  away  again  without  finding  him,  had  given 
him  the  strength  to  raise  his  voice  ; but  now  a greater  faint- 
ness naturally  set  in,  and  he  could  scarce  make  signs  to  us 
to  give  him  water.  The  fresh  draught  was  handed  him  ; 
then  we  laid  him  on  a bed  made  of  buffalo-skin,  and  left 
him  to  sleep,  which,  with  the  consciousness  that  he  was 
saved,  and  among  friends,  did  him  more  good  than  any  thing 
else  we  could  have  offered  him.  The  large  fire  lit  up  the 
plain  around  us,  and  displayed  the  victims  we  had  sacrificed 
to  the  blood  of  our  friends : farther  on,  it  shone  on  the 


294 


The  Backwoodsman. 


great  number  of  utterly  exhausted  Indian  horses,  most  of 
which  were  lying  fastened  to  lassos  among  the  large  stones 
in  the  grass.  Although  we  did  not  apprehend  any  attack 
from  the  fugitive  savages,  many  of  whom  had  doubtless 
killed  themselves  by  leaping  off  the  high  banks  into  the 
river,  which  dashed  over  rocks,  and  who,  too,  possessed  no 
weapons  that  could  be  dangerous  to  .usr  we  still  posted  sen- 
tries on  both  sides  of  the  camp,  and  lit  large  fires  in  order 
to  be  able  to  watch  the  horses,  as  it  was  very  probable  that 
the  Indians  would  attempt  to  recover  them  towards  morn- 
ing, after  the  moon  had  gone.  down.  Our  own  horses  we 
tied  up  in  the  grass  close  to  camp,  and  then  lay  down  by 
turns  to  rest  as  far  as  our  stale  of  excitement  permitted 
it. 

Morning  dawned  without  our  having  been  disturbed  ; and, 
with  the  growing  light,  we  began  to  survey  the  field  of 
battle,  and  investigate  the  details  of  the  events  of  last  even- 
ing. The  savages  were  a tribe  of  Mescaleros  ; and,  as  we 
afterwards  learned,  the  same  who  had  made  the  attack  on 
Mrs.  White  a few  months  before.  Among  the  dead  was 
their  chief,  who  had  been  killed  by  the  first  shot  fired, 
which  was  the  principal  reason  why  the  assailed  did  not 
offer  a greater  resistance  ; for  they  only  discharged  a few 
arrows,  one  of  which  hit  Trusty,  while  another  passed 
through  Konigstein’s  thigh.  The  weapons  lay  scattered 
about  the  battle-field.  C)n  the  lofty  bank  were  distinct  signs 
where  the  fugitives  had  leapt  off  it ; but  we  found  below  no 
signs  of  them  on  the  rocks  jutting  out  of  the  river,  as  they 
had  apparently  fallen  into  the  deep  water  between  them. 
For  all  that,  there  was  no  doubt  but  that  many  had  not 
reached  the  opposite  bank  alive ; for  the  stream  was  too 
rapid  for  a man  to  swim  across  it. 

Our  friend  MacDonnell  still  lay  motionless  asleep,  and 


The  Pursuit . 


295 


we  did  not  disturb  him.  It  was  bright  daylight  when  John 
Lasar  summoned  us  to  the  fires  of  the  savages,  where  we 
found  the  roasted  and  partially-gnawn  bones  of  one  of  the 
murdered  men,  while  Konigstein  discovered  other  remains 
of  the  dead  bodies  behind  a rock.  At  about  ten  o’clock, 
MacDonnell  woke,  and  felt  greatly  strengthened.  We  gave 
him  food  and  a cup  of  wine  to  drink  ; but  he  was  very  weak, 
and  terribly  excited,  so  that  we  prohibited  him  from  talking 
about  his  own  sufferings  or  those  of  his  own  comrades. 
About  noon,  we  prepared  to  start  and  carry  off  the  horses, 
of  which  we  had  captured  forty-six,  among  them  being  seve- 
ral first-rate  animals.  Tiger  at  once  sought  out  the  leader 
of  the  troop,  — an  old  mare,  whose  head  and  tail  were 
hung  with  all  sorts  of  ornaments  ; and  so  soon  as  he  led  it 
away,  all  the  others  would  follow  it.  He  bound  the  mare 
to  a tree,  let  loose  the  other  horses,  and  wound  the  lassos 
round  their  necks,  upon  which'  they  all  collected  round  the 
old  mare.  We  then  saddled  our  horses ; selected  the  best 
saddle  of  the  savages,  a very  handsome  Mexican  one,  for 
MacDonnell ; put  it  on  one  of  the  captured  horses  which 
appeared  good-tempered  and  safe,  and  covered  it  with  a 
buffalo-hide,  a large  quantity  of  which  we  also  found  ; then 
we  lifted  our  suffering  friend  on  the  horse.  Tiger  marched 
ahead  of  us,  leading  the  mare  behind  us  by  a lasso,  and 
followed  by  all  the  Indian  horses,  while  we  rode  behind, 
and  drove  on  the  laggards.  Thus  we  rode  slowly  to  the 
south,  and  camped  at  sunset  in  a narrow  strip  of  wood  on  a 
stream,  where  we  found  good  pasture  for  the  numerous 
horses.  We  merely  fastened  up  the  leading  mare  and  our 
own  cattle  near  the  fire. . 

During  the  night  we  posted  four  sentries,  and  lit  up  the 
Indian  horses  with  large  fires.  It  passed  without  disturb- 
ance, and  the  next  morning  we  continued  our  progress  to 


296 


The  Backwoodsman . 


the  south.  We  now  made  but  short  marches,  as  our  own 
horses  were  very  tired  ; but  the  captured  ones  were  so  ex- 
hausted that  we  could  hardly  drive  them  on  with  long  sticks. 
We,  on  several  occasions,  unsaddled  at  noon,  because  we 
found  good  pasturage  on  water,  and  rested  till  the  next 
morning,  so  that  we  might  not  have  to  spend  the  night  at  a 
worse  spot. 

One  evening  we  found  ourselves  in  the  middle  of  an- 
open  prairie,  on  which  only  isolated  mosquito-trees  could 
be  seen,  and  camped  at  a spot  where  there  were  several 
ponds,  and  an  old  fallen  mosquito-tree  lay,  which,  judging 
from  the  fire-marks,  had  offered  burning  materials  to  ear- 
lier travellers  across  this  plain.  The  nearest  woods  to  the 
south  lay  on  the  remotest  horizon  on  the  San  Saba  Moun- 
tains, and  we  did  not  calculate  on  reaching  them  till  the 
next  day.  We  lay  in  a hollow  of  the  prairie,  between  two 
small  elevations,  and  fastened  our  riding-horses  and  the 
leading  mare  to  lassos  driven  into  the  ground,  while  the 
captured  horses  grazed  on  the  bottom.  The  evening  was 
splendid  ; and,  as  Mac  was  all  right  again,  we  were  in  the 
best  spirits.  After  supper,  the  conversation  turned  on  the 
captured  horses ; and  we  resolved  to  throw  dice  for  them. 
The  mare  was  allotted  to  me  without  throwing,  as  I gave 
up  my  chance  of  all  the  rest.  Ere  long,  all  the  horses  had 
owners.  Antonio  and  Lambert*  resolved  to  try  theirs  the 
next  morning,  as  they  were  not  very  well  mounted ; and 
everybody  praised  the  good  qualities  of  his  horse,  and  ex- 
pounded how  the  animals  must  be  treated  and  ridden  to 
make  first-raters  of  them.  Thus  the  night  arrived,  during 
which  we  again  posted  sentries  on  the  nearest  mounds  ; but 
it  passed  without  any  alarm.  Day  dawned : we  blew  up 
our  fire,  and  got  breakfast  ready,  while  the  horses  were 
grazing  around  us.  The  sun  rose  while  we  were  lying 


The  Pursuit. 


297 


carelessly  on  our  buffalo-robes  round  the  fire  and  drinking 
coffee  ; when  suddenly  a fearful  yell  reached  our  ears  over 
the  next  height,  and  a band  of  thirty  horse  Indians  thun- 
dered down  the  hillside  towards  us,  waving  in  one  hand 
their  buffalo-robes  over  their  heads,  shaking  in  the  other 
tin  pots,  gourds,  and  buffalo-bladders  filled  with  pebbles, 
and  uttering  the  strangest  and  most  awful  yells.  In  an  in- 
stant the  troop  passed  us,  and  dashed  right  through  our  fire 
and  camp.  They  went  over  us  like  a tornado  ; and  our  ter- 
rified horses,  which  had  torn  themselves  loose,  dashed  over 
the  prairie  in  front  of  them,  trailing  the  broken  lassos  after 
them.  Before  we  had  seized  our  rifles,  the  Indians  were 
so  far  off,  that  the  bullets  we  sent  after  them  produced  no 
effect ; and  we  silently  stared  after  them  till  they  disap- 
peared from  sight  over  the  last  rising  ground  on  the  prairie. 
We  asked  each  other  with  our  eyes  what  was  to  be  done ; 
but  no  one  was  yet  able  to  speak : the  fright  and  the  heavy 
loss  had  fallen  upon  us  too  unexpectedly,  and  it  was  long 
ere  we  could  think  of  the  immediate  future.  At  length  all 
eyes  wrere  turned  to  me,  as  if  I could  help  them.  This 
confidence  restored  my  power  of  speech ; and  I told  my 
companions  in  misfortune  that  I was  able  to  lead  them 
home  without  horses,  and  that  Macdonnell’s  life  was  worth 
more  than  our  animals. 

I had  hardly  spoken  to  this  effect,  when  Konigstein 
shouted  to  me,  and  pointed  in  the  direction  where  the 
horses  had  disappeared ; and,  though  it  was  so  far  off,  I 
recognized  Czar  and  the  cream-color  flying  over  the  prai- 
rie, pursued  by  five  Indians.  I ran  towards  them  as  fast  as 
my  legs  would  carry  me,  and  fired  a bullet  at  the  Indians, 
long  out  of  range,  but  which  they  must  have  heard  u pin- 
ging ; ” for  they  gave  up  their  pursuit,  and  merely  fired  a few 
harmless  arrows  after  the  horses,  which  now  dashed  up  to 


298 


The  Backwoodsman. 


me,  and  stopped  panting  and  snorting.  Czar  came  up  to 
me,  arid  laid  his  head  on  my  shoulders,  while  looking  round 
in  wild  terror  after  his  pursuers.  I led  him  into  camp, 
where  both  the  horses  were  greeted  with  loud  shouts  of  joy. 
We  now  held  a grand  council,  and  soon  agreed  to  cache 
our  baggage  in  a hollow  near  at  hand,  cover  it  with  tuff, 
and  then  start  for  home  on  foot,  in  which,  of  course,  we 
could  only  cover  short  distances : at  the  same  time,  we  ar- 
ranged that  Mr.  Lasar  should  ride  the  cream-color,  and 
Mac  Czar,  while  we  also  packed  our  food  on  the  animals. 

The  whole  day  passed  before  we  had  cached  our  bag- 
gage, so  that  we  slept  another  night  at  this  inhospitable 
spot.  The  next  morning  we  saddled  and  packed  ; and,  after 
carefully  taking  the  direction  of  the  nearest  tree  with  the 
compass,  we  began  our  wearisome  journey.  On  reaching 
the  tree,  we  blazed  it  with  a knife,  and  then  started  for 
another,  and  so  on,  carefully  marking  each,  so  that  vve 
might  be  able  to  find  our  way  back  to  our  traps  from  tree 
to  tree.  The  road  to  the  San  Saba  Mountains,  through 
the  tall  prairie-grass,  was  one  of  the  unpleasantest  I ever 
followed.  There,  however,  the  ground,  though  hilly  and 
stony,  was  still  adapted  for  human  feet ; and  we  soon  grew 
accustomed  to  walking.  Tiger  had  not  a word  to  say  for 
himself : he  was  revolving  vengeance  on  the  Lepans,  who 
had  stolen  his  faithful  piebald,  and  swore  that  the  Dela- 
wares should  take  many  of  their  scalps  in  return. 

After  several  weeks  of  unspeakable  fatigue  and  priva- 
tion, we  at  length  arrived  one  evening  at  Widow  White’s, 
who  received  us  with  great  cordiality  and  delight.  We  at 
once  sent  her  son  to  the  fort  to  fetch  riding-horses  for  all 
of  us,  as  we  had  had  quite  enough  walking ; and  stopped 
the  while  with  our  kind  hostess.  Late  the  next  evening, 
the  long-looked-for  horses  arrived  from  the  Leone : we  let 


The  Pursuit . 


299 


them  rest  for  the  night,  and  on  the  next  morning  said  good- 
by  to  the  widow,  and  started  for  home,  which  we  reached 
at  an  early  hour,  and  found  horses  there  for  Lasar  and  his 
companions  to  carry  them  at  once  to  Mustang  River.  The 
loss  of  Lasar’s  handsome  horse  and  of  John’s  mare  again 
caused  fresh  sorrow  in  the  family,  with  whom  they  had 
been  favorites  ; but  I willingly  put  up  with  the  loss  of  my 
two  horses  and  mules,  and  considered  myself  remarkably 
fortunate  in  recovering  Czar  and  the  cream-color.  The 
last  lesson  which  we  gave  the  Mescaleros  seemed  to  have 
had  an  intimidating  effect  on  the  Indians  generally,  as  we 
neither  saw  nor  heard  any  thing  of  them  for  several  montli9. 

Tiger,  during  this  period,  rode  a splendid  black  horse  of 
mine,  which  I had  been  always  obliged  to  leave  at  home,  as 
it  was  too  timid  and  impetuous  for  hunting-purposes.  Now 
that  it  was  ridden  daily,  it  became  a first-rate  horse  ; and 
Tiger  often  said  that  it  was  better  than  his  piebald.  Great 
was  my  surprise  when  Tiger  knocked  me  up  early  one 
morning ; and,  on  going  out  of  my  house,  I saw  the  piebald 
quietly  grazing.  On  waking,  Tiger  had  found  it  tied  up  in 
front  of  his  tent,  and  told  me  that  the  Lepans  were  fright- 
ened because  his  tribe  would  come  in  the  autumn  and 
learn  their  hostile  behavior. . With  a sad  look  he  re- 
marked, that  he  would  now  be  obliged  to  give  me  back  the 
black  horse,  he  supposed  ; and  was  quite  beside  himself  with 
joy  when  I told  him  that  I made  him  a present  of  it. 

In  the  course  of  the  summer,  friendly  Indians  visited  me, 
but  never  stopped  long ; and  gave  me  to  understand  that  I 
lived  too  much  among  the  white  men.  It  would  be  much 
better  for  me  to  move  nearer  to  them,  and  then  they  would 
visit  me  more  frequently.  Thus  arrived  one  evening,  just 
before  sunset,  my  old  friend  Pahajuka,  accompanied  by  his 
good  old  squaw  and  his  grand-daughter  and  a few  Co- 


300 


The  Backwoodsman. 


\ 


manches.  The  joy  of  the  old  folk  was  great ; and  they 
said,  that,  had  not  the  white  men  blocked  the  road  to  me, 
they  would  willingly  stay  some  time  with  me ; but,  as  it 
was,  we  were  daily  more  separated.  The  people  remained 
some  weeks  with  me  ; but  one  morning  they  came  into  my 
room,  and  the  old  lady  said  with  tears  that  this  was  the 
last  visit  they  would  pay  me,  as  the  road  to  me  was  grow- 
ing too  narrow.  I was  obliged  to  promise  them  a visit  at 
the  parts  where  the  buffalo  still  grazed,  and  the  antelopes 
and  stags  had  not  so  many  feet  as  here. 

After  breakfast,  I saddled  Czar,  and  rode  with  my  guests 
to  the  mountaiu-springs,  where  we  spent  the  night ; and  the 
next  morning  we  took  leave  of  one  another.  I promised  to 
join  them  the  next  winter  on  the  Puerco,  when  a great 
council  of  the  Comanches  was  to  take  place.  They  often 
looked  with  tears  in  their  eyes  in  the  direction  of  the  fort : 
then  they  offered  me  their  hand  once  again,  and  rode  off, 
never  again  to  cross  the  threshold  of  my  house,  to  which 
they  were  so  attached. 

Tiger,  too,  seemed  dissatisfied  at  the  new  settlements, 
and  could  not  understand  how  people  could  have  an  objec- 
tion to  his  pulling  down  the  fences,  and  riding  across  the 
fields  to  save  distance.  They  had  also  forbidden  him  tak- 
ing dry  corn-leaves  for  his  horse  out  of  the  stacks,  or  fast- 
ening his  piebald  to  the  grand  stockade  in  front  of  the 
house  while  he  went  in  to  beg  a drink  of  water.  What  I 
had  long  foreseen  happened  : he  was  beginning  to  feel  the 
trammels  of  civilization,  and  wrestled  against  them,  while 
its  comforts  still  attracted  him.  Shortly  after  Pahajuka’s 
departure,  Tiger’s  tribe  arrived  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
fort,  and  the  chief  paid  me  a visit  with  several  of  his  war- 
riors. He  told  me  that  Tiger  wished  to  go  home  with 
them  in  order  to  see  his  relations,  and  return  to  me  in  the 


The  Pursuit. 


801 


following  spring.  Though  I felt  sorry  for  it,  I saw  that  he 
could  not  remain  much  longer  in  our  settlement  without 
parting  from  us  on  unfriendly  terms : hence  I offered  no 
objection  ; and  on  the  day  of  their  departure  I accompanied 
them  as  far  as  Widow  White’s,  as  I wanted  to  pay  a visit 
to  Mac  on  Mustang  River.  I took  a hearty  farewell  of 
Tiger,  as  I wai  really  attached  to  him  ; and  he  was  obliged 
to  promise  me  a visit  ere  long. 

The  next  day  I rode  to  Macdonneli’s,  when  I found  every 
thing  prospering.  His  field  had  produced  a rich  maize 
crop,  and  was  now  covered  with  beans,  potatoes,  melons, 
gourds,  &c.  His  orchard  already  contained  fine  young 
trees : his  garden  supplied  him  and  his  negroes  with 
magnificent  vegetables.  The  yard  round  his  house  was 
crowded  with  poultry  of  every  description,  and  the  interior 
of  his  block-house  was  very  neat  and  tidy.  A large  new 
patchwork  quilt  was  thrown  on  his  bed : over  the  mantle- 
piece  was  a handsome  looking-glass  ; and  by  its  side  hung 
the  framed  portraits  .of  three  men,  which  are  very  fre- 
quently found  in  frontier-houses,  and  by  which  the  Ameri- 
cans do  not  pay  themselves  the  worst  compliment.  They 
represent  the  greatest,  the  best,  and  the  most  useful  men  of 
our  century,  — Washington,  Alexander  von  Humboldt,  and 
Liebig. 

The  now  frequently  traversed  road  from  Turkey  Creek 
to  the  Leone  shortened  the  distance  between  the  two  rivers 
much,  as  the  greater  portion  of  it  could  be  galloped  over. 
I reached  the  fort  again  at  an  early  hour,  and  helped  Ko- 
nigstein  in  his  preparations  for  a start  on  the  next  morning. 
He  was  going  with  Antonio,  Lambert,  and  several  pack 
animals,  to  fetch  our  saddles  and  traps,  which  we  cached, 
after  the  loss  of  our  cattle  in  the  prairie,  to  the  north  of 
the  San  Saba  Mountains. 


802 


The  Backwoodsman. 


Although  we  are  still  living  on  the  frontier  of  the  des- 
ert, We  have  now,  in  front,  of  us,  a line  of  settlements  fa- 
cing the  Indians,  which  keep  off  us  the  ordinary  dangers  of 
a frontier  life  ; and  we  are  rarely  reminded,  by  the  personal 
appearance  of  these  savages  in  our  vicinity,  that  their  hunt- 
ing-grounds are  not  a great  distance  from  us. 


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